Moments in Between
by holmesdoyle
Summary: A series of moments that I imagined in Books 1-4. Canon compliant. Korra/Asami-centric but deals with other things as well. (Like the Equalists) Starts with the ball Tarrlok holds.
1. First Meetings

**I do not own Legend of Korra or any of its characters.**

* * *

 **First Meeting**

 _ **(Korra)**_

She hated her.

From her perfect hair to the way her dress fit perfectly to her form to those perfect legs. She hated it.

And Spirits, those green eyes, and that smile. Korra had been pleased _Miss_ Asami Sato's perfect smile had stiffened when Korra had said Mako had never mentioned her. _Prissy._ No one could be that perfect and not prissy. That girl probably loved to talk about make-up and shopping and how the boys all fell at her feet. _Ugh._ She hated her.

She hated the way Mako's arms were around that rich, spoiled, beautiful, elegant and prissy heiress. Hated the way his eyes seemed so taken in by Asami's beauty.

Well, _sorry_ for not being like her. Sorry for not being feminine, for being headstrong and stubborn and socially awkward. Sorry she was so well-built instead of just curvy, and for not having that stylish grace or have those sharp eyes… ugh!

She really, absolutely hated her.

Asami Sato, heiress to Future Industries. Prissy, beautiful, elegant rich girl.

Mako was strong and handsome and just really cool. So maybe he was also a bit cold and made her feel pissed when they first met but he was also brave and caring and treated her not just as the Avatar, but as Korra.

And Asami had taken him without even batting an eyelash.

Korra felt she'll never win against her. And it made her feel so angry.

"Chief Beifong!"

Korra stiffened when she heard Tarrlok's voice call out to Lin Beifong, reminding her of her entrance into Republic City. She just didn't understand why she had been put under arrest when she was just protecting those innocent people!

She clenched her fists, glaring at the gray-haired woman. She wasn't going to back down from a challenge, she wasn't going to allow them to push her around, and she definitely would not allow them to see how bothered she was by that statement. Chief Beifong had just told them all what Korra already knew: she had done nothing to deserve this. And that was the very reason she wanted to challenge Amon at first, she wanted to prove herself. She _was not_ scared. The Avatar isn't supposed to be scared or weak. Aang faced Ozai when he was barely a teenager! So she could certainly defeat that monster. But seeing him take away those people's bending… and she couldn't even airbend. _What kind of Avatar am I?_

Korra looked away, the morose thoughts filling her mind, a gloomy look overtaking her face.

"Avatar Korra, I believe you should make the rounds with me. Many people would like to meet and talk with you." Tarrlok broke into her thoughts.

"But—." Korra glanced at Bolin and Mako, who seemed to be talking about their excitement for the tournament. She sighed and when she lifted her eyes again, soft green eyes met hers. It wasn't a look of pity, but that of understanding. This made Korra's frown deepen. _Did she see everything just now? I really hate her._

She suddenly felt the need to be as far away from the raven-haired beauty as soon as possible. "Of course, Councilman Tarrlok."

Korra felt herself getting more and more irritated. She had been initially uncomfortable under the glare of the cameras, but with each reporter's question, she felt herself trying to take control of the situation and proving them all wrong. _I am NOT afraid. If facing Amon is what they want me to do, then I'll do it!_

It was too late when she realized that she had let her temper get the best of her as she let go of the words she had no plans of saying. She didn't want to join Tarrlok's task force, she didn't want to face Amon. What if she lost her bending? What then? She had barely been able to keep up with his henchmen, how would she be able to face their leader?

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Does Korra not like me?" Asami asked her date. She noticed Mako's face distort for an instant before returning to his normally passive face.

When Asami had first seen Korra, the girl was being pushed around in the Pro-bending Arena. Asami only knew that she was a waterbender, and that her bending was unlike any Asami had ever seen but the mistakes she made in the ring made Asami shake her head. She couldn't quite understand why the Fire Ferrets had taken in such a green replacement. Then the girl had been announced as the Avatar, and after an embarrassing fall into the water outside of the fighting area, the Avatar seemed to change her movement, flowing and moving with the enemy's attacks instead of her initial style of fighting head on.

To be honest, Asami had been impressed with the girl who appeared to be able to mix it up. Knowing when to fight head on and knowing when to take another solution. And she had been looking forward to meeting her even more when Mako had answered all Asami's questions about Korra. She was definitely someone she'd want to get to know. But given the Avatar's treatment of her earlier…

"What? No! I mean, why would you say that?" Mako asked, his eyebrows furrowed. He seemed troubled by this.

Asami nearly raised her eyebrow. Did he not notice the blatantly hostile tone and look Korra had been sending her? Those icy blue eyes had been sending daggers the moment she saw Asami. The Avatar's emotions were practically written all over her face. The insulted then downtrodden look Korra had on when Chief Beifong had made that sharp comment about Korra having done nothing to deserve the gala. The apprehensiveness she had before and after the press bombarded her with questions.

She had been impressed by Korra's courage to face those Equalists. When the Avatar had been seemingly uneasy before the interview, Asami had initially chalked it off to Korra being unused to the press and the many questions they threw at her, but when Mako, Bolin and her had approached the Avatar after the press dispersed, Korra still looked just as confused and frustrated and… dare she say scared? It made Asami wonder if the aggressive way Korra had handled the press was more of a defense mechanism. The shorter girl had excused herself from their company before she could actually confirm it.

"It's just…" Asami realized that it might be seen as her paying too much attention to Korra if she explained all that she saw. Mako hadn't seemed to notice it. Maybe she was reading too much into the situation? Maybe she was overreacting. "She was really tense around me, earlier I mean."

 _Wait, maybe I_ _ **am**_ _overthinking this. She could have possibly been tense because of all the attention. She_ _ **was**_ _uneasy when the press had thrown all those questions at her. Poor girl, she reminded me of the first time the press had interviewed me._

Asami had hoped that she could try and get to know the girl behind the Avatar title. After all the questions she had fired at Mako, Korra really did seem interesting. There were only a few things Mako had been able to answer, but what she knew had only piqued her interest more, and what she didn't know, she had hoped to ask Korra when they'd gotten closer. Making friends had never been her forte. While her family was rich, some of those in high society did not welcome them since they had come from nothing. And others were simply unpleasant to be with. Since Mako and Bolin had been so welcoming and nice to her, she had believed Korra would be the same.

"Oh, well, she said she's just been under a lot of pressure lately, with her training." Mako explained. He seemed to think for a moment. "And she probably doesn't like these kinds of things."

"What does she like?"

"Well, uh, exciting stuff." Mako seemed to recall something, "She's more of a take-action kind of girl. Which is pretty cool. Although sometimes annoying."

Asami looked thoughtful at this.

 _I have just the thing._

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra stared at the ceiling, thoughts running through her head. She could hear a soft whimper by the window. _Naga._ Korra rubbed her eyes, there was no way she was going to get any sleep now. Not with all the talk about the task force earlier. With practiced strides, she sneaked out of the dorms. Naga ran beside her, both of them heading for the shore. She glanced at Aang's statue, he looked so calm and brave there, as if nothing fazed him at all.

"I'm sure everyone wishes I was you." Korra muttered. She threw a fire punch toward the main island, "Why did I have to let my mouth run like that? Now there's no backing out! Those press people are really irritating!"

Korra crushed the large boulder in front of her with another large mass of earth in her frustration. She glanced at Aang, this time the waves coming towards the shore seemed to grow taller and taller.

"How can they say I'm scared? I'm not scared! And yes, Amon is a danger, but I don't even know what to do! He can take away people's bending, that hasn't been done since you fought Ozai! Tell me what to do!"

Fire, earth and water continued to blast from the powerful bender's body parts, from the ground, or from the waves crashing upon the shore, punctuating each statement with a bang.

"I don't know what to do…" Korra said brokenly, "Why won't you help me? I can't get into the Avatar State and I can't even airbend! Why is this so hard?"

" _Well, if it would have been smooth sailing for you, then where would all the fun be?"_

"Aang?" Korra raised her head in surprise. But only the wind's gentle blowing answered her. She huffed and dropped down to the ground. Naga approached her with a whine and the polar bear dog nuzzled Korra affectionately as the girl stared across the bay, right at the statue. "Probably just me wishfully thinking. Figures. I still can't reach you."

Korra wanted to punch something, anything at all.

The press. Tarrlok. Amon. Airbending. The Avatar state. Those gentle green eyes—.

Korra let out another grunt of frustration. It was times like these that she missed those training dummies back at the compound, and those obstacle courses, and even the White Lotus training partners. _Although they were nothing compared to those chi blockers. Those Equalists had been so fast and so light on their feet. Like air._

A whole block of sea water rose in front of her and Korra froze it. She then wrapped her fists in water and started punching certain areas of the block.

She thought about the feeling in her feet when she dodged those attacks in her first pro-bending match. Then how she had recreated that feeling while going through the airbending gates. She could feel it, but it was just barely out of her reach. Like most things seemed to be right now. Like it was on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't say it. The feeling of air at her fingertips but something made sure it was never brought to fruition, never to come out.

And it only served to frustrate her more.

Korra breathed deeply and stepped back to look at her work. _Aang._

This was an exercise Master Katara had suggested when they discovered how spiritually inept she was and the difficulty to connect to her past lives. Katara had been understanding, unlike her other masters and had taught her the exercise in order to focus on that thread of connection. At first, Korra had done nothing but fill the block with holes, feeling nothing from her past lives. Katara had told her to let herself be consumed by her emotions, to let all of it converge. Not just her anger, but all her fears and happiness as well, to open herself up to everything.

Korra had remembered retorting that the Avatar shouldn't be afraid, and Katara had that twinkle in her eye as she shook her head, telling her that it was natural for anyone to be afraid, especially the one with the most responsibility. She frowned, thinking about what Katara had replied, feeling that she was missing something important. But when it didn't come to her, she threw a more forceful punch into the ice block.

Still, the exercise had mostly been a failure and her spiritual side was as elusive as always. But there were times, when she was completely open and exposed, it felt like she could hear the echo of Roku's old voice, of Aang's laughter, of Kiyoshi's solemn tone and it was during those moments, like in a dream, a dragon arose from the frozen water, or a fan. The first time she had done it, she had felt so ecstatic, and proud of herself. But although she created more sculptures (during rare opportunities), that excitement quickly wore off to disappointment and more dissatisfaction as she continued to fail to connect to her past lives.

Recently however, she started having dreams of Aang, they were flashes mostly. It was as if he was trying to call to her, but she couldn't answer, nor could she call back. She was still completely lacking in the spiritual department, and the airbender department and the whole Avatar department. _Ugh. I thought I'd be able to just kick people's butt and be over with it, provide balance and protect the world. I've mastered three elements already!_

Korra drew up another block, this time made of earth. She still wanted to punch something, to erase the voices of the press and those stupid eyes with that friendly smile and Mako's arms around her. _That prissy heiress._

Another solid punch came and debris came flying out of the block. She chanced another glance at the immovable statue.

 _Why won't you help me? Amon is threatening this city you founded and I… I don't know how to stop him! I know I have to, but I'm so…_

Korra's eyes widened when she realized what she had made: Amon's mask. Korra immediately destroyed both sculptures before stumbling into Naga. She looked at the water across the bay. Another bout of recklessness overtook her and she jumped unto Naga. She hadn't done what she was planning to do in a long time. It was dangerous, and Equalists might have been waiting for the opportunity to attack her, but she felt the desire, this great _need_ to jump. So jump she did.

Korra clicked her tongue and Naga broke into a run towards the bay. The girl and her polar bear dog leaped into the deep blue. She felt the refreshing water drench both her clothes, and her senses. She didn't bother to create an air pocket bubble for them. She and Naga had swam far longer and in far colder temperatures back in the South.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami turned off the lights to the warehouse, giving one more sweeping look to make sure she had everything in order. She usually tinkered in their garage back home but most of the materials she needed for the impromptu idea she had could be found in these warehouses. She could have requested they be brought to the Sato Estate in the morning, but she had wanted to start working right away.

 _There was no telling when I'd be able to show it off to the Avatar after all._

Once she was sure everything was clean and that she had placed in all the usual security measures (it had taken her a few sweeps), Asami proceeded to close the warehouse. A splashing sound came from somewhere behind her just as she locked it. Her hand immediately went to her purse. If it was a mugger, she'd be able to easily defend herself. But if it was one of those Equalists…

 _No. They haven't targeted non-benders thus far, I doubt they'll do anything now._

She held the small dagger in her palm as she turned, her eyes taking in the area. Her corner was dark while the area closest to the docks was dimly lit. And that's where she noticed two shadows: a large beast and a person. As far as she could tell, the pair didn't know she was there since the two were both looking toward Air Temple Island. She also noticed that the two seemed to be soaked to the bone.

The beast—there was something familiar about it, as if she had seen pictures of it before—shook itself and water visibly sprayed all over, especially in the direction of the other silhouette.

 _Where have I seen it before?_

"Naga!" The voice carried easily in the empty dock area of Future Industries. It had tried to sound reprimanding, and Asami frowned, the voice sounded familiar as well. The beast licked its companion, and a playful laugh erupted.

 _Beautiful. That laugh was so pure and just…_

Asami couldn't help but step forward, wanting to know who the girl was. Just as she got into a decent position, the other girl moved into a waternending stance. Asami felt panic rise within, wondering if she would attack her. She grasped the dagger again. But the fear was immediately quelled as the girl merely waterbended the water from her clothes. The girl waved the collected liquid around, her motions fluid and so cohesive. The graceful motions felt familiar and Asami continued to stare, wondering who it was. When the girl turned, the water followed her. Asami saw the look of focus on the girl's face, and those striking blue eyes.

 _Korra._

 _What was she doing here? Hadn't she gone home early? Should I…_

Another laugh and Asami saw the beast—polar bear dog, as the newspaper had mentioned—chase after the water as Korra seemed to dance and flow, keeping it just out of reach of her partner.

 _So beautiful and carefree._ _She seems so different from earlier. I want to be able to get to know her and let herself show this side of her in front of me._

Her motions, her form, her laughter, everything about Korra seemed to be so free. She spoke her mind and showed her dislike, she did what she wanted and she acted as how she believed. While Asami usually spoke her mind on things, and would not allow people to trample on her, she also had to ensure that she never did anything to bring down her family name. She remembered the police reports about the Avatar wreaking havoc in downtown Republic City, Triad territory, all in order to capture the Triple Threats that were menacing that area at the moment. It was another thing Asami had admired in Korra, or at least, what she read about the Avatar. She seemed to have a strong sense of justice.

And those eyes. Korra, in her own right, was already a beautiful girl. But those eyes sealed the deal for Asami. They were so expressive, so honest and clear. Asami remembered the way Korra's eyes seemed to dance in delight when the Fire Ferrets had won their first match. Although those very same eyes had been seemingly icy towards her earlier that evening.

"C'mon, Naga!" Korra's voice broke through Asami's thoughts. "We have to get back before Tenzin finds out we sneaked away."

Asami watched as Korra jumped onto her companion's back. A perplexed look appeared on the engineer's face when she realized Korra was heading right towards the water.

 _There was no ship, why is… of course. That's why I heard such a loud splash earlier. She's the Avatar, of course she can do something about the water. But isn't the water freezing? She could catch a cold! Or hypothermia!_

Her thoughts were sent into another grinding halt when she heard another loud splash when Korra dived into the water.

Asami looked worriedly toward the bay when the two didn't resurface. _Maybe I should jump in and get them? What if something happened to Korra? Is she alright? What if the Avatar dies and I was the only one there… no, Aang lived in an iceberg for a hundred years. Keep calm. She must be fine. But what if I should've gone down and…_

Suddenly, a large wave appeared and a grinning Avatar rode it towards the opposite end. Asami watched in awe of the display. But the wave was extremely short-lived, as if Korra didn't want anyone to see. And maybe, if Asami hadn't been looking for Korra, she might have missed the small display. But she did see it. She saw Naga and Korra rise and fall and heard Korra's heartfelt laughter and excitement, and somehow, it cemented her resolve. She really did want to become friends with Korra, the girl outside of her role as Avatar.

* * *

 **A/N** : I guess I wanted to get more into the heads of Korra and Asami as they move forward in Legend of Korra. Some of what I'll write will be parts seen in the cartoon with just getting in their thoughts and feelings. Others will be new scenes entirely that I thought would help address a concern I wanted addressed in the show. I switch between Korra's thoughts and Asami's thoughts usually, although some chapters in the future might just be from POV.

In this chapter, I wanted to show Asami's determination to get Korra to be friends with her, (For a number of reasons). And to show Korra's insecurity and jealous admiration for Asami.


	2. And the Winner Is

**And the Winner is...**

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami paused at the door, realizing her father had a visitor. The man had a scarf around his face and black hair. _Who is he?_

Asami cleared her throat as she stepped into the room.

"Oh, Asami. Are your friends ready?"

The other man turned to her and she noticed how his eyes sharply focused on her. She grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny, but fluidly moved towards her father.

Asami nodded, "They needed some more time for themselves. I think they're going to win this."

She waited for her father to introduce her to the man, as he usually did with his business associates but the stranger spoke up first.

"You like pro-bending?"

"Yes, she's been very curious of the sport ever since she was little." Hiroshi answered quickly for her. Asami frowned, he usually let her talk for herself. She noticed how tense her father seemed. "I don't really understand why though."

"It's because of the excitement, Dad." Asami smiled at her father, "How many times have I told you? It gives me nearly the same feeling when I test…"

"Of course, Asami." Hiroshi nodded, cutting her off.

"And you have friends who are benders?" The man asked. Asami seemed to feel even more uncomfortable. _The way he said that… it's as if he doesn't like benders._ "I've been told that you've been nearly harmed by benders before."

Asami bristled at this and made questioning glance at her father. Hiroshi seemed torn at the moment. Asami then placed her full attention to the man. "Yes. I have had unpleasant memories with benders, but I've also had unpleasant memories with non-benders as well."

Hiroshi seemed to stiffen beside Asami at this statement.

"Look, I may be a non-bender but my friends don't care about that. It shouldn't be much of an issue whether or not you're a bender or a non-bender but how you use your talents and abilities."

"Those are naïve sentiments." The man said.

"I believe the match will be starting in a few minutes. We should get ourselves situated." Hiroshi cut-in, nodding to the man, "We may continue this for another day."

Asami's lips thinned into a line. _Why is he spending time with this man? What is going on?_

"Of course, Mr. Sato." The man said, his eyes still boring straight into Asami. "Miss Sato, I do hope you open your eyes to the reality around you. Good night."

When she was sure she could no longer hear the man's footsteps, Asami took a seat beside her father. "Who was that? He didn't seem very friendly."

"He's a business associate of mine." Hiroshi explained, "Did he make you uncomfortable, my dear?"

"A little." Asami admitted, "It felt like he didn't like benders much. I can't really believe why. Mom always told me stories about the Avatar and his friends and how they saved the world. Being able to bend or not didn't seem to make a difference to them."

"These are different times, Asami. Benders really do have more power than we do. But we still try and do our best."

"Benders' abilities are different from our own, Dad."

"Of course, Asami. But you haven't seen it the way I have, Asami." Hiroshi seemed on edge, "There are those who would harm other people simply because they are more powerful."

"And those people must answer for their mistakes, bender or otherwise." Asami said, "Didn't Avatar Aang save the world from Ozai? Councilman Sokka was one of the heroes of the Hundred Year War."

"Yes." Hiroshi murmured, "But there are more recent events that the benders have failed to take notice of."

"The police, you mean?" Asami asked.

"Yes, of course. But they are mostly composed of metal benders." Hiroshi said.

Asami sighed.

"I do not mean that you should not watch pro-bending matches. I do not mean that all benders are like that. That Mako and his brother seem to be good boys. It was why I sponsored them after all. And you seem to be smiling more since you've met them." Hiroshi said, "I just want you to understand that not all benders are amazing."

"I know that." Asami said, a little bit of annoyance carrying into her tone. She didn't need to be told again and again, she knew that on her own. The way her mother had been so callously struck down…

"I apologize. We should focus on your friends' match." Hiroshi said.

Asami nodded. There was an undeniable tension between them which had Asami sinking into her seat. She tried to focus on other things other than the distasteful conversation she just had.

 _I want to see them already._ She looked around the stadium. The crowd was still roaring with excitement.

"Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!"

Asami sat up straighter, a smile finally gracing her lips. _I can't believe I'm friends with them._ The platform extended towards the ring as Mako, Bolin and Korra waved to the crowds. Mako made eye contact with her and Asami blew a kiss and winked at him.

She briefly noticed the sickened look on Korra's face. _Okay, at least with two of them,_ Asami corrected her earlier thought. She hid her sigh. Korra had stopped acting so hostile towards her after the semi-finals, but she could still feel that Korra wasn't all that comfortable with her. What had she done? Did Korra not like non-benders? No… Tenzin's own wife was a non-bender and Mako had told her about Korra's high opinion of the woman. Whatever it was, hopefully, that would change soon. She planned to invite the three Fire Ferrets to a victory celebration after, it would be the perfect opportunity to impress Korra. _At least, that's what I hope to be able to do._

There was not a doubt on her mind about them winning, she had seen their practices, and their teamwork was near flawless, especially after the semi-finals. Plus, they were each individually talented. The Wolfbats didn't stand a chance.

"That was a foul!" Asami called out in frustration. Tahno had obviously exceeded the waterbending time limit and yet the referees hadn't called it. She gripped the ledge, having stood up in the middle of her tirade. Ever since the start of the match, the Wolfbats had been playing dirty. Asami had first called it when Tahno had tried to box Korra. She frowned down at the main area of the arena.

"Asami, please, sit down. There is nothing we can do at this moment." Hiroshi reached out to his daughter. Asami sighed and took her seat again.

"I know. It's just not fair."

"Life seldom is." Hiroshi murmured, then raised his voice, "Let us hope that those boys and the Avatar can hold on for now. There is nothing we can do."

Asami watched as Korra was pushed into zone 3. She was gripping the edge of her seat, nearly making it pop. All three Wolfbats bended at Korra and Mako moved forward to protect his teammate but the both of them were thrown over the edge.

"No!" Asami stood up in shock.

"It's a knockout! The Wolfbats win the championship for the fourth year in a—." Shiro Shinobi's started to announce. The Wolfbats continued to celebrate.

 _They can't lose. Not now. Not like that. Not… Wait, isn't that…_ Asami saw the edge of the platform and was partially shocked. Korra had grabbed the ledge, saving her and Mako from the pit.

"Scratch that! The Ferrets are still alive, but just barely." Shiro Shinobi said with enthusiasm, obviously rooting for the underdogs as well. Asami couldn't help but grin when Korra tossed Mako back up into the platform.

 _Way to go, Korra!_

"See, Daddy? They're really good!" Asami grinned at her father before turning back to face the match. "Korra continues to surprise."

Mako firebended at Tahno, causing the opponent's waterbender to fly. Ming and Shaozu looked at Mako in surprise.

"Nice one, Mako!" Asami cheered.

Tahno stood up, infuriated, but the bell rang, indicating the end of the round. Mako winked at Tahno smugly and Asami couldn't help but laugh.

Asami clenched her fist as Korra moved forward to take the tie-breaker. Asami had seen Tahno play before, and it wasn't pretty. Korra could take care of herself but since he had bought off those referees…

Korra threw a waterwhip at Tahno, but Tahno quickly dodged it.

 _That smug bastard…_ Asami hoped that Korra would wipe that smirk off the cheating asshole's face.

Suddenly, another stream of water rose from below and hit Tahno squarely on the chin, causing him to fly out of the ring and his helmet to fly into the stands.

"Yes! That's it Korra!" Asami applauded. _I hope they win this._

"But it looks like Tahno and Ming are upto more shenanigans!"

Asami clenched her hands together.

"That underhanded—!"

"Well, folks it's a controversial call but the Wolfbats notch a nasty knockout to win the match! For the fourth year in a row, they'll be crowned tournament champions." Shiro Shinobi declared.

Suddenly, everything went to hell. Asami stood frozen, the Wolfbats… Amon had just taken away bending, he had just… she glanced down at the water and noticed that Korra, Mako and Bolin were unconscious. One of the Equalists was reaching for Korra.

 _No. No. No. I have to help._

"Asami!" Hiroshi grabbed her arm right before she could leave the room. "Where are you going? It's too dangerous."

"I need to help them!" Asami stated, "The Equalists will take away their bending as well!"

"It's too dangerous right now. The Avatar is here, I'm sure she can handle this. We should focus on getting out of here."

"But—."

" _One day you will find friends like those. People who will value you for who you are, who can see your worth. People you can trust and rely on and who will trust and rely on you in return. And when you do meet them, make sure you let them know how important they are to you. Always have each other's backs, because people like those are hard to find."_

"I have to help them, Dad. Those Equalists attacks won't easily work on me. They're my friends. I have to help them."

Hiroshi looked at her in irritation, "No! You shouldn't help…"

Hiroshi seemed to break at Asami's defiant expression, "I can't lose you too. Please, Asami."

The Sato heiress was suddenly torn about what to do. She wanted to help her friends but her father had that desperate look in his eyes.

"I believe I have your attention, benders of Republic City." Amon's voice echoed throughout the Arena.

 _I have to get my father out of here._

Asami turned to her father but Hiroshi spoke first.

"We should move. It might be dangerous to stay here." He looked gravely at his daughter, "Your friends are benders, so they'll be able to take care of themselves."

"…But thankfully, modern technology has provided us with a way to even out the playing field."

Asami wanted to drone out the madman's speech. It hit very close to home, but she also knew that there was so much more than that. She had met benders who didn't care if she was a non-bender.

As Amon and his henchmen were raised up to the waiting airship, a large explosion occurred in the middle of the arena, destroying the main platform.

Hiroshi lurched forward as the earth shook, Asami quickly caught and steadied her father. Loud screams could be heard as debris fell from the roof due to the shock.

"Mr. Sato!" A police officer appeared at the doorway, "You and your daughter should evacuate the building, sir."

Asami took a glance at the place she had last seen Mako, Bolin and Korra. She saw Pabu eating through the restraints on the three benders. _At least they're going to be able to get away._ Asami nodded, "We'll be fine. You should help the others."

"Ma'am, it's our duty to make sure everyone makes it out safely. The Equalists may not target non-benders but those explosions could be dangerous." The lady replied, "Most of the others in this area have already been evacuated."

"What about those in the stands?" Asami asked.

"They're being evacuated as we speak. The Equalists had been able to hold them for a while but they all left as soon as Amon did." The lady said grimly.

 _(Flashback)_

" _I thought I'd find you here."_

 _Wide-eyed green eyes raised themselves from a large book: The Adventures of Avatar Aang. The small child's hands tightened on the children's book._

" _Just a few more minutes, please Mom?" Asami implored._

" _Your father will get home in time to read you a story. You should be in bed before he comes." Yasuko fondly stated, then bent down to pick-up the drawings on the floor. Even at Asami's young age, she was already following in her father's footsteps. Designs for forts, play cities and toy cars were scribbled on the papers on the floor, there was also an occasional penguin-otter drawing with the young Avatar on top. Yasuko picked up the final piece: one with an air glider as shown in the book that Asami was reading._

" _I see you've been improving Avatar Aang's glider." Yasuko hummed._

" _Yeah! I like its traditional design, but if he wanted it to go faster, that'll be the way to go!" Asami said excitedly. Yasuko laughed._

" _You know, that storybook of yours isn't entirely correct." Yasuko said gently. "Maybe his glider is already designed differently. Few actually saw it up close."_

" _How do you know all that?"_

" _Councilman Sokka_ _1_ _had written his own take of the events as they travelled the world before facing Fire Lord Ozai. It's a rare edition and I have one. The aim of the book is merely to correct misconceptions on their travels though and many of their adventures are still unwritten. You do know what misconception is right?"_

 _Asami nodded, "A view or opinion that is incorrect because it is based on faulty thinking."_

" _That's right. You're getting to be as smart as your mother and father." Yasuko ran her hand through Asami's hair, "Now, come on. Daddy will read you the book in bed."_

" _But he makes the worst story teller!" Asami pouted, "You tell better stories, Mommy. Especially those about Avatar Aang and his friends. Did they really save the world when they were kids? Is the book right on that? They're just a few years older than me!"_

" _Yes, they did. They defeated Fire Lord Ozai and changed the world. Alright, how about this: I'll tell you the story of how Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko nearly broke their friendship before they formed the United Republic and once your father gets home, you can talk to him about all those inventions of his. But, you have to wash up and head to bed now."_

 _Asami nodded eagerly and placed her book back in its position. Her own little bookshelf that she was careful to keep clean and orderly. Yasuko smiled as her daughter moved to get ready for bed. While Asami shared in Hiroshi's interest for inventing, she also shared her mother's love of history._

"… _And that's how Fire Lord Zuko, Avatar Aang and King Kuei started their long road to forming the United Republic of Nations." Yasuko finished._

" _Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko really are cool. Do you think I could be a bender too?" Asami asked._

" _And why would you want to be a bender?" Yasuko questioned._

" _So I could save the world and go on grand adventures!" Asami declared._

" _Sweetie, you don't have to be a bender to save the world and go on grand adventures." Yasuko said, "There were many non-benders who fought against Fire Lord Ozai and the terrible reign of the Fire Nation. Look at Councilman Sokka."_

" _But the other kids at the park don't even want to play with me because I can't bend." Asami sighed._

" _That's because they don't appreciate their history, unlike you." Yasuko said, "Councilman Sokka and the Kiyoshi Warrior Suki were both non-benders but they saved the world with Avatar Aang. They are capable in their own right and Avatar Aang never thought any differently of them. They choose people on merit and not because they're simply a bender."_

" _I remember Ty Lee and Mai! Did they really go toe to toe against Team Avatar?"_

 _Yasuko nodded, "They gave our heroes a hard time. But in the end, they overcame their fear of Princess Azula and helped the then-Prince Zuko. In time, they also became quite close with Team Avatar. One day you will find friends like those. People who will value you for who you are, who can see your worth. People you can trust and rely on and who will trust and rely on you in return. And when you do meet them, make sure you let them know how important they are to you. Always have each other's backs, because people like those are hard to find."_

 _(End of Flashback)_

Asami looked around the outside of the arena, trying not to think of what was happening inside at the moment. The sounds of fighting had died down, but given that the airship had been able to leave, she wasn't so sure Korra had won. She hoped Mako, Bolin and Korra were okay, she had yet to see any of them. Her father had gone off to speak to the police officers and Councilman Tarrlok. _How fitting that he's sneering down here._ She had never truly liked the man.

All around, people were looking for their children, their spouses, their companions. Some were looking dazed, others afraid, and others…

"This is all you non-benders' fault!" Asami heard a man shout.

"Our fault? What about your fault? This would never have happened if you weren't oppressing us non-benders! Amon is right about you!"

"You think you're the only one being oppressed? Anyone without money lives through shit. What about us, huh? What about the benders left on the streets?"

"At least you're offered a way to earn money!"

"Dishonest ways!"

"It's still surviving! And what about those establishments that only want benders? Firebenders for powerplants, waterbenders for the water system, earthbenders for construction. They have no need for non-benders! If you didn't have your bending, everything would've been fair!"

"You want us without our bending? Maybe I should rip your arm off and let you see how that feels!"

More angry shouts as the benders and non-benders duked it out. Asami felt herself starting to get annoyed and was about to stand when she heard the earth being shifted. When she looked at the area of the argument, a wall had been erected by the arguing parties. The benders and non-benders both looked affronted. Asami expected to see a police officer, but instead a man in what looked to be about his forties was standing by the end of the wall, his stance still in form. His stern gaze landed on all the parties involved.

"That's enough. These non-benders are not to blame. There have been issues on all sides for the past few years. It's like we've all forgotten that benders and non-benders worked together to bring this city to fruition. So many people are hurting right now and all you can do is point fingers."

"What are you going to do about it?" A waterbender sneered, a waterwhip being menacingly dangled. "It's the Council's and the Avatar's job to fix this mess."

A ball of fire evaporated the water and the waterbender turned to the source in surprise.

"I would suggest you listen to him. The police may have their hands full with the Equalists now, but I'm sure Chief Beifong won't let this pass if she sees you all getting in a fight." The firebender said. A few police finally moved in to break up the rest of the crowd. The earth wall was finally put down.

Asami was relieved that in the end, no more people had gotten hurt. Some of the non-benders had spiting words to offer to the benders that had prevented a fight, some saying they didn't need protection. A third person had joined the two benders. Asami looked curiously as the woman spoke to the non-benders in a blunt manner.

"They weren't doing it to protect you." The woman said, "Both sides were saying some wrong things and we don't really need another fight going on here. Doing what's right doesn't mean you have to be a bender or a non-bender."

They finally walked away, still muttering in anger. The firebender held his hand up to the earthbender, seemingly introducing himself. The third person who joined them noticed Asami was looking at them.

"Aren't you that Sato girl?" She asked. Brown eyes that were bright and cheerful met Asami's own gaze, giving the older woman a young feel, even with all the wrinkles on her face. The firebending also aging quite nicely laughed a pleasant laugh.

"Sorry for my sister." He said, "She can be pretty blunt. You seemed to be just about ready to jump into the mess earlier. Don't tell me you believe in this Equalist crap?"

Asami was surprised that they even cared what she thought, knowing who she was. Usually she was expected to just sit there and be pretty, even if her father would proudly tell his associates of her engineering genius.

"No. I'm not for anyone who believes that they can just bully people. He talked big about bullies, but he's just another bully himself." Asami finally answered. "It was just getting annoying, how the benders were putting all the blame on the non-benders. I'm surprised you all jumped in to the rescue for non-benders."

The earthbender grinned, "Well, it appears we took our esteemed leaders' examples to heart. I was a young boy back when Avatar Aang was still alive, but I've seen enough in that time to know that being a bender or non-bender never truly mattered to them."

"Even Princess Azula gauged a person on her merits and not on her bending." The firebender added. This reminded Asami of her own conversation with her mother. "Hell, my sister can beat me at most things and she's the non-bender. I'd never underestimate a non-bender. But as she said, we didn't do it to rescue the non-benders. I just didn't want that to escalate further and cause more chaos."

The woman smirked at him, "Of course. I did learn from one of the best. Those benders were just trying to take advantage of other people's weaknesses. If they faced any fighting capable person, they'd be the one's running with their tails behind their legs."

"But it is true that a lot of people look to the advantages of taking in benders for jobs." The firebender added, "And many non-benders are targeted by the Triads while the police seldom do any large operations on capturing them. The Council has them running ragged trying to capture those Equalists."

"But they're going about it wrong." Asami nodded.

"The people out here are just doing these things out of fear and frustration. But there are still people who remember the Hundred Year War and what happened after. Benders and non-benders built this city side by side. Everyone's suffering, and the Council should stop ignoring that. I'm sure they're hiding a lot of this from the Avatar, but once the public figures out something's wrong, they'll throw it all on her shoulders. And this Amon is just looking for disgruntled people and creating another enemy."

"Well, we do what we can to help, and we do have communities with both benders and non-benders working together. But the lower areas are a different issue."

"Asami! There you are."

Asami turned to find Mako and Bolin. They looked ragged and drained.

"Well, we'll leave you to your friends, Miss Sato." The firebender nodded, "We should get to our own homes as well."

"Who were those people?" Mako asked.

"Just some people who were kind enough to stop a fight from breaking out." Asami replied, "What about you? Are you okay? You aren't hurt are you? Where's Korra?"

"I'm fine." Mako said, "Korra's…"

"She's with Chief Beifong." Bolin explained, "The Chief, Tenzin and Korra are talking with Councilman Tarrlok right now."

"What about you? Are you okay?" Mako asked Asami. She nodded.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help you." Asami apologized, "I wanted to but my father…"

"It's alright. I wouldn't have wanted you to get hurt because of us." Mako shook his head.

"I don't need that kind of protection, Mako. I can take care of myself." Asami said. "I've been learning self-defense ever since I was little."

"But still I don't want you getting hurt." Mako insisted.

"Um… I'll just go and clean up Pabu." Bolin interrupted, "I'll just be right over there."

"I really can protect myself." Asami stated when Bolin left, then placed a palm on his cheek, "And besides, I'll feel safer when I'm with you."

Mako sighed, "Yeah, I'm sorry. You always do surprise me after all."

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"You're gonna be okay, kid." Lin nodded at Korra before taking her leave to find her other police officers. Korra saw Tenzin still talking with Mr. Sato and Tarrlok, which seemed like another debate between the councilmen. Korra sighed and kicked the ground, an earth spike rose. Naga jumped on it but Korra had already brought it down and made another one.

 _I can't believe Amon got away. I let him get away. He was just there and he slipped away._ _ **I'm the Avatar and I just let him get away.**_ _What kind of Avatar am I? I can't even win this. And Aang's memory… what was he trying to tell me? I've been getting more and more visions of that time. But… will it help with Amon? Aang, what are you trying to tell me?_

"Korra?"

"Oh. Hey, Bolin." Korra brought down the earth spike with a sigh. She tiredly smiled at the earthbending brother.

"Are you okay?" Concern laced his voice.

"I'm fine." Korra nodded. _Amon got away._

"Oh. Good." Bolin looked like he wanted to say something more. Korra half expected him to ask about her feelings. "Soooo… Pabu was pretty amazing, huh?"

Korra looked at him in confusion, but Bolin simply continued his thought.

"Told you guys he wasn't just a one trick pony. Mako really should trust him more."

"I never doubted Pabu." Korra's lips twitched upward at his pout. "Remember? I have Naga. Animal friends are the best."

"Right?" Bolin nodded enthusiastically. "Pabu's really great. So is Naga, of course." Bolin added when the polar bear dog looked at him. Naga returned her attention to Pabu. Bolin captured the scene as if taking a picture, "And the two of them making awesome best friends."

Korra laughed, seeing Naga chasing Pabu down and Pabu just running out of reach. Pabu then jumped up on top of Naga, Naga seemed to huff and lay down. Pabu lay down on top of Naga's head as well. "Maybe you're right."

"Of course I'm right! The best-est bro's ever. And hey, you should totally come over tomorrow. We can go to Narook's, work out—oh, we should totally work out, then we'd have even better teamwork and get stronger and totally beat the hell out of anyone that messes with us!"

"Korra! We should get going." Tenzin showed up. Korra nodded, indicating that she'd be with him in a minute.

"Alright, Tenzin said we'd have to interrogate some people. But I'll drop by." Korra smiled at Bolin, "Thanks Bolin. I'm glad we're friends."

* * *

A/N: So this is more about what Asami was doing when Amon took over the arena. And since I thought I wanted to show how much of an effect Yasuko had on Asami. So I decided on that flashback. Because since Hiroshi hated benders, Asami's influence of justice and compassion must come from someone else right? And yeah, a nod to Asami's still great desire to be friends with Korra. I also wanted to show Bolin/Korra friendship. I do think they're the bro-est of bros. haha.


	3. Changing Gears

I do not own Legend of Korra or its characters.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra's face fell as she realized Asami had beaten her to the punch. She had been so excited that Mako and Bolin had been allowed to stay at Air Temple Island after the Equalist attack on the Pro-bending Arena. But to hear that they were already going to stay at Asami's family estate. And Bolin was quick to point out all the perks of living there. She had been looking forward to spending more time with her friends and if possible, convince Mako that maybe he did like her.

"Oh, hey, Korra!"

Korra immediately stiffened at that. She'd only heard it a few times but instantly knew that was Asami's voice behind her. She wouldn't miss that voice anywhere.

"I was hoping you'd stop by." Asami continued, coming down the ladder.

"I was just leaving." Korra said shortly. Then turned to the two brothers and waved. "So. I guess I'll see you guys around." She hid her disappointment as she faced away from them and towards the entrance of the room. "Some time."

"Why not tomorrow?" Asami offered immediately. "I'd love to have you come visit the estate."

"I don't know. I have some… Avatar stuff to do."

It wasn't a complete lie, Tenzin had asked that she spend some time training again tomorrow, and meditating. _Ugh._ And they had to go question some more people. But she didn't have much to do after that so she could easily ask permission. Not like Tenzin's disapproval had ever stopped her before. But she didn't like the idea of being in Asami's estate and thinking how out of her league she was. While she was thankful for Asami's support in pro-bending, she still couldn't bring herself to watch Mako and Asami together. Especially with the kind of girl Asami was, spending time with her would be really unpleasant.

 _Prissy, beautiful, elegant rich girl indeed._

 _But friendly and helpful as well._

 _Prissy. She probably goes shopping all the time and spends her days doing make-up or whatever else prissy rich girls do._

She had been set to hate her. But Asami was making that slightly difficult. Only slightly. Because. Mako.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami recognized Korra's voice and smiled to herself, hoping to invite the girl to spend some time with her, and the boys. Maybe they could get to know each other better. This was her chance to impress Korra and change the girl's mind about her, whatever Korra seemed to think about her. It was also a plus for her to get to know the people close to Mako. Bolin had been really welcoming of her, and now she hoped to gain some friendship with Korra. She had been intrigued by the girl since she first saw her in the arena. And having all of the information she could get from Mako, she was sure she and Korra would get along. _Well, I'm almost sure._

"I don't know. I have some… Avatar stuff to do." Korra declined her invitation. Asami tried not to show her disappointment. _Mako and Bolin will still be there, s_ he comforted herself, _the mansion should certainly feel less empty now. Although I really was hoping to gain Korra's friendship with that. Well, I guess I'll have to save those plans for another day. Swimming should preoccupy us enough._

"C'mon, Korra." Bolin pretended to voice his pet ferret, Pabu at the same time moving Pabu's arms to emphasize his act, "We all deserve a little rest and relaxation after all this craziness. We can swim in Asami's pool. It'll be fun!"

Korra laughed at his antics. Asami was truly reminded of summer when Korra laughed. She was like this really bright ball of energy.

"Alright, Pabu." Korra played along. Asami tried to control her excitement when Korra let go of those words. _I could hug Bolin right now._

"Great! We'll see you tomorrow!" Asami smiled as Korra headed out. And she felt warmth fill her as Korra tentatively smiled back and waved at them. She immediately mapped out all things to do tomorrow. Swimming, and maybe a tour. _Mako said you like exciting, I hope you'll like what I have planned tomorrow._

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

They were getting nowhere with the investigation. Korra sighed in frustration. She wasn't so sure about facing Amon but she hated that he could just freely prance around. She looked outside, it would be lunch time soon. Korra had stuck around, in case Tenzin or Lin needed her. And to be honest, she really wasn't looking forward to going to the Sato estate. Tenzin had mentioned that it was quite impressive.

She let out another sigh, this time more out of dejection than frustration. _Going to Miss Prissy Perfect Pants' home. That would be a joy. I'd probably just be completely out of my element. Just like airbending,_ Korra thought bitterly. She really didn't feel like going, but she did want to see the brothers. Bolin had really been helpful and had cheered her up. Besides, she'd already told them that she'd be going. _Although it would be easy to come up with an excuse as to why I didn't go. I am really not looking forward to talking about make-up and boys and fashion… or whatever else prissy girls usually talk about._ She sighed again.

"Korra?"

"Yes?" She looked up at her airbending master. They were probably done with taking the next statement. "Did you find anything out?"

"Not yet. Are you feeling alright?" Tenzin asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?" Korra cocked her head.

"Hm. You can go, you know. I know this isn't something you enjoy. You should go and visit your friends. You mentioned they are at the Sato Estate?"

"I should be helping here. I'm the Avatar." Korra insisted. She still wasn't so sure about going there.

"And you're a teenager." Lin appeared with Tahno trailing behind them. Tenzin shot the older woman a glare at the statement. "What? It's not like she knows what questions to ask. Look kid, if we need you, we'll call you."

"But…"

"Go, Korra. You can enjoy one afternoon. We'll resume training tonight." Tenzin advised before he and Lin headed back inside the room. "If we find something out, we'll call you."

"I wonder about enjoying it though…" Korra muttered, watching the two enter the room once more with another witness. She huffed then turned around, knowing that she had no other choice but to go now. The airbending master was sometimes really sharp when it came to her feelings and she'd rather not he find out about her petty issues.

Korra looked up at the mansion, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. "Woah, this place really is huge!"

She looked at Naga and rubbed the polar bear dog's side, "What do you say girl? Ready to get this over and done with?"

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami checked the time again. Korra was still a no-show. Granted, the shorter girl didn't mention what time she'd be coming over. A detail Asami had forgotten to ask in her elation over the simple fact that Korra had finally agreed to come over.

"You okay, Asami?" Bolin's voice broke through her thoughts. Mako looked at her in concern as well.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Asami smoothly said. _Was it that obvious on my face?_

"You let out a sigh." Bolin pointed out.

"And you've been checking the time." Mako said, "Are you supposed to be somewhere? If you do, we'll be okay on our own, you know."

"No. I just didn't want to start without Korra." Asami shook her head.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about her. She'll come." Bolin said. "She just hates mornings."

"She's not a morning person?"

"No. Although she does have airbending training with Master Tenzin in the mornings." Bolin seemed to think. "But she'll come later. Besides, she did say she had Avatar business to take care of. I'm sure she'll finish that up quickly and come over."

Mako nodded in agreement. "She's probably with Chief Beifong right now. They usually take statements from witnesses and put the pieces together, see if they can find any leads."

"So you know a bit about investigations, do you?"

Mako looked away nervously, "Yeah, I… well, I've heard a few things on the street."

"Don't be so nervous. I think it's pretty neat. Now, why don't we go for a swim?"

"Yes!" Bolin whooped in agreement.

"Bro! Not so loud!"

"Oh! Sorry!"

Asami laughed, "Its fine. It makes this place feel livelier, anyway."

"You are my second favorite girl ever!" Bolin grinned and hugged Asami, surprising her. Mako shook his head, a smirk on his lips.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Avatar Korra," the butler started to announce. Asami turned immediately at this, she could feel her mouth widening. Korra also had a small smile on her lips. "Has arrived."

 _Apart from that small glance around the room, she doesn't seem fazed by this at all._ Somehow, that piece of information made Asami feel more comfortable.

"Hey Korra!" Mako greeted.

"Glad you made it." Asami leaned forward, trying to keep her eagerness in check. She waited with Mako as Bolin reveled in the fact that he could order the butler to wipe him clean. She would apologize to their butler later. Asami knew that Bolin was simply enjoying himself but the staff was probably not used to a guy like him. _After all, the only people I used to bring in the past had the same privileges. I never let them stay for very long though. Engines provided better company than they did._

Asami swam up to Korra and rested one arm on the edge of the pool. She was really glad that Korra had actually come. She had still been a bit worried when they had started swimming and Korra had yet to appear but she did still enjoy her time with the brothers. _Life couldn't be better. I have friends who don't see me just as a Sato, I have my father, and hopefully, after today, I gain a new friend in Korra._

"So. What do you have planned for us today?" Korra asked as Asami looked up to her from the pool. "Let me guess: shopping, make-overs."

The sigh was completely evident in Korra's voice. Maybe she could coax a smile out of Korra using _that._ Asami grinned as she pulled herself out from the pool. She paused just as she was halfway out, simply turning her head to face Korra with a smile.

"I have something a little more exciting in mind."

Asami wanted to giggle as she saw Korra's eyes widen at Asami's pose then the Avatar quickly stood up and shrugged, as if nothing happened. Korra seemed like she was fun to tease.

"Ladies first." Korra said with a short tone. Asami frowned at this. Had she done it wrong?

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

 _She really is beautiful._

Korra's thoughts were a mess as Asami got out of the pool. The way Asami's raven hair rolled down her back, the wavy strand of hair that fell out of place, but framed her face still, _that's totally unfair, even the imperfect part is perfect,_ the way her lips curled up with just a hint of teasing, and the way her eyes sparkled in excitement. _Her eyes are soooo green._ Korra's stomach was as messy her as thoughts, what with the way they seemed to sink and jump all at the same time. Asami's smile seemed to turn into a cheerful smirk and Korra realized she had been staring too long. She cleared her throat quietly. Her stomach finally settled on sinking.

 _I am never going to win against her. Even if she is a prissy, girly-girl that wears perfect make-up. And obviously not my type to hang around with. But I wonder what she thinks is more exciting? What do girls like her think as more exciting than shopping and make-overs?_

Korra tried to hide her face, so she stood up and shrugged, as if agreeing nonchalantly.

"Ladies first." Korra gestured to Asami to be the first to leave the pool area, trying and failing to hide her envy.

"We'll just get changed, you can wait for us here." Asami said, "You can have whatever you want while we're gone."

Korra shook her head, "I'm fine."

Bolin and Mako got out of the pool as well. Korra glanced at the butler and decided to take pity on him. Although his wiping technique was awesome, she was sure that the butler hadn't been too pleased when Bolin had jumped right back in.

"I'll take care of this." She smiled to the butler. _Besides, I get to show off too._ She quickly waterbended the pool water from their bodies, making sure that all three of them were completely dry. She couldn't help but smirk at Asami's surprised look.

"Thanks, Korra." Mako smiled appreciatively. Korra smiled back.

"That _was_ pretty cool." Asami gushed, her eyes twinkling once more. She then nodded to the boys, "We should get ready so Korra won't be waiting long."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami watched as Korra's eyes widened and the Avatar's face broke into a huge grin as soon as they saw the circuit. Asami couldn't help but smile at Korra's elated reaction. _I'm glad I made the right choice to take them here._ Asami took a seat beside Korra, Mako took a seat on the other side of Asami and Bolin sat next to Korra.

Asami observed Korra's excited grin when the Satomobiles crossed the finish line. Her own smile hadn't faded from her face, "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Way cooler than a make-over!" Korra wholeheartedly agreed. Korra's excitement was highly infectious, Asami realized. She had a feeling she would really be able to impress the teenage Avatar.

"This is where Future Industries test drives their Satomobiles." Asami explained to Korra. "Ever been behind the wheel?"

Asami hoped Korra hadn't. From what she had learned from Mako, Korra was usually on Air Temple Island, and before that, she had been in the southern end of the world, training in the ways of the Avatar. This was an opportunity to show off, and get Korra to open up to her as well.

"The only thing I know how to drive is a polar bear dog." Korra answered. Asami smiled at this, feeling that somehow, the other girl had warmed up to her.

"You want me to take you for a spin?" Asami invited. Korra immediately turned in surprise. Asami simply smiled at her, trying to keep her own emotions in check. Korra's often open and honest facial expressions and reactions were really endearing to her. _Don't scare her off by being too excited with her reaction._

"Let's do it!" Korra grinned, her eyes full of fire, excitement written all over her face. Asami grinned in return.

"Here you go!" Asami tossed a blue helmet and goggles over to Korra as she took a red one for herself. "Just hop on inside."

Korra jumped into the backseat of the Satomobile and Asami walked over to her. She pulled the seatbelt from behind Korra. "Strap yourself in." She pointed in between Korra's legs where the locking mechanism was. Asami flipped her hair then inserted it into the back of her shirt's collar. She then readied herself and grinned at the prospect of showing Korra and Mako her mad driving skills.

The driver in front blocked her. Asami used the reduced air resistance and focused on the exact moment to overtake the other Satomobile. She switched gears and stepped on the gas. She quickly overtook the other vehicle even as her back wheel grazed the tire wall. She could feel his vehicle's front tire hitting her own. _Good thing I made all those adjustments to the Satomobile before all of this._ She didn't bother to look behind her, knowing the car's safety would prevent any injuries to the driver.

Asami could practically feel Korra's grin in the back as the Avatar had excitement radiating from her. Asami smirked as she looked behind her, knowing she had been able to pull it off and impress some people.

Korra immediately hopped out, adrenaline still rushing through her. Asami stood on top of the vehicle, one leg still on the seat while the other was on the edge of the car, ready to leap out. She removed her helmet first.

"That was amazing! I didn't think we'd make it!" Korra was still pumped up.

"Well, you can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes." Asami flipped her hair so that it was no longer constrained by her clothes. She noticed Korra's eyes on the motion of her hands and hair, and she smiled. She hadn't exactly meant to do that, but Korra's reaction pleased her still. There was none of that hostility. Maybe she really was getting somewhere this time and they'd actually become friends.

"I gotta admit, I got you pegged wrong. I thought you were kind of prissy." Korra said as Asami moved to lean against her Satomobile. Then as if having realized how bad that sounded, Korra added, "Er! No offense!"

Asami laughed, glad that Korra was really starting to talk to her. _She really is honest. It feels like a breath of fresh air._ "It's alright. People usually assume that I'm Daddy's helpless little girl. But I can handle myself. I mean, I've been in self-defense classes since I was this high. My Dad made sure that I would always be able to protect myself."

"Smart guy. But to be honest, your Dad didn't have that much to do with that…" Korra admitted, "It's more of… you always look so put together that I believed you spend hours on make-up and shopping and fashion and stuff. Things I barely understand and never really appreciated. And I guess I thought you were just some stuck-up rich kid that didn't like getting dirty. But you're totally awesome. Beyond awesome. And you obviously like getting grease under your fingernails."

"You're pretty great too, Korra." Asami grinned, happiness surging inside her, "So what do you say, friends?"

"Definitely!"

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

 _This girl, is amazing._

Korra glanced back at the other car, when she was sure the driver wasn't hurt, she faced front and grinned at Asami as they raced over the finish line.

 _She wasn't prissy at all. Totally awesome in fact._

Before Asami even fully stopped, Korra was already hopping out of the car in excitement. "That was amazing! I didn't think we'd make it!"

"Well, you can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes." Asami flipped her hair. Korra was distracted for a moment by the motion. _How can she just run a race, and still look good? She really is perfect and awesome and I definitely wanna hang out with her. Maybe we could race more._

"I gotta admit, I got you pegged wrong. I thought you were kind of prissy." Korra said and her eyes widened at the sudden realization that once again, she let her mouth move before her mind. She didn't really want to insult Asami. She was totally amazing! "Er! No offense!"

Korra felt relief flood through her when Asami simply laughed.

"It's alright. People usually assume that I'm Daddy's helpless little girl. But I can handle myself. I mean, I've been in self-defense classes since I was this high. My Dad made sure that I would always be able to protect myself."

 _Friendly, beautiful, elegant, knows how to really drive and knows self-defense? She is totally my kind of girl. Finally, a girl I can actually hang out with! That isn't ten or less or older than thirty…_

"Smart guy." I grinned at her, then I found myself spilling my guts about what I had initially thought about her and that it had nothing to do with her dad. It had more to do with Mako and the fact that she always seemed to perfect. "But to be honest, your Dad didn't have that much to do with that. It's more of… you always look so put together that I believed you spend hours on make-up and shopping and fashion and stuff. Things I barely understand and never really appreciated. And I guess I thought you were just some stuck-up rich kid that didn't like getting dirty. But you're totally awesome. Beyond awesome. And you obviously like getting grease under your fingernails."

… _I want to be her friend._

"You're pretty great too, Korra. So what do you say, friends?"

"Definitely!" Korra's delight danced on her face.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

 _I have to tell Tenzin! And Chief Beifong._

Her gut told her that Hiroshi Sato was up to something. And that something was with the Equalists.

"You're leaving?!" Asami said in surprise as Korra rushed past them to the door. "But I—I thought…"

Korra quickly thought up an excuse. She couldn't simply say that she was suspicious of Hiroshi Sato. Not to Asami, that would break the girl's heart. And what if she was in on it?

 _No. Asami wasn't it on it._ At least, that's what Korra's instincts told her.

"Uh, sorry. I, uh, forgot I'm supposed to airsit, I mean, babybend, I mean babysit the airbender kids. See you later!"

In her rush, she didn't notice the disappointed look on Asami Sato's face or the surprised look on Bolin, or the confused one on Mako.

 _I'm sorry, Asami. But I have to tell Tenzin. Other people's lives are at stake._

* * *

 **A/N:** Interruptions, interruptions. Is this a theme? I mean, they (korrasami) seem to keep getting interrupted, up until the last point of Book 4 where Asami gets frustrated and decides she's the one who'll do the interrupting that time around.

Oh yeah, I want to make this clear: I do believe that Asami is bisexual, that she's known she's bisexual for a while. (That "You can't be afraid to mix it up sometimes" got me thinking that. Plus the posing/flirting in that same episode). I do think she's attracted and interested in Korra herself. But I also think that for now, she isn't thinking about having a romantic relationship with Korra. She really just wants Korra as a friend and is trying whatever she can think of to gain Korra's friendship.

While I think Korra is more on the pansexual side? I don't think she has any qualms about who she likes. I just think she's just been pre-programmed to initially take an interest in guys, because that's what she's seen. Most people end up in a heteronormative relationship. She has been pretty sheltered, so her experience is probably just stories she hears from other people and books. So her initial reaction would be taking an interest in guys, but I don't think she has any issue with whoever she ends up liking. I have a feeling she's open like that. This does mean that it'll take her awhile to actually register that she might romantically be into a girl (the girl, who happens to become her best friend as well) since she also has limited girl friendships (of her age).

I guess what I think of Korra stems from what I think the Avatar world is. In general, I think the Avatar world isn't judgmental with regards to relationships in the sense that your sexual orientation isn't a problem. I do believe most people would see relationships as another area that brings balance so they aren't going to admonish you for having same sex relationships and stuff. I think more emphasis would be on balance and duty and that's where they criticize. And since Korra is the Avatar, I really don't think she has any issues with who she likes either, it's just that liking boys is the first thought that pops into her head.

*shrug, its just my opinion. Just wanna make it clear that Asami and Korra are both into boys and girls.


	4. Betrayed

_**(Korra)**_

"What? I don't believe this!" Asami spat out as she followed Tenzin and Lin up to her father's study. _Great, just when I thought I wanted to be friends—_

"You spied on Hiroshi? What's your problem?" Mako said in annoyance.

— _and there goes Mako as well. Ugh._

"I didn't spy on Hiroshi." Korra muttered dejectedly. _Okay, fine, I did. But it wasn't my intention! I'm not going to back down though._

"If you don't drop this, consider our friendship over." Mako threatened. The police had searched all of Future Industries and had come up empty handed. Korra looked down, breathing deeply. _If this is what it comes to… the truth and justice are more important than our relationship. I_ _ **know**_ _there's something up, my instincts are telling me that I'm right._

"I'm sorry. Hiroshi is not the man you think he is." Korra stared determinedly up at Mako. Asami's irate then confused look at Korra as Mako pulled her away saddened the Avatar. She didn't want to hurt Asami. Not when Korra had just found out how alike they were, not when she was planning to make-up for her not-so-nice reception, not when Asami had been nothing but friendly even with Korra's initial unfair judgment, and especially not after finding out about her mother… _I just thought that her mother was busy and didn't like pro-bending. Asami deserves better than this. But I_ _ **need**_ _to find out the truth. I need to stop Amon before he hurts more people. I'm really sorry._

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

She couldn't believe it! She let Korra in and now the Avatar accuses her father of supporting Equalists! She should never have trusted her in the first place. Her father would never do that! He was strong and kind and smart and powerful. There was no way he'd support those Equalists!

"What? Don't be ridiculous! That has nothing to do with it!" Korra's raised voice piqued Asami's interest. _What are those two arguing about? Mako was upset with Korra. As he should be, I am as well. I invite her to my home and offer her friendship and hours later…_

"If you don't drop this, consider our friendship over." Mako's answer was barely audible but now that Asami was actually paying more attention to them, she could hear it. Asami glanced at Korra, she knew Korra hardly had any friends outside of Mako and Bolin, would she back down with this threat? She saw Korra sigh but when the girl looked back up again, determination filled those cerulean eyes.

Asami could no longer make out the last parts of their conversation but given Mako's disapproving look, Korra probably did not agree to drop it. It made Asami wonder why Korra was willing to go through such lengths. She stared at the girl, and Korra looked up, a sad look on her face, as if she was apologizing to Asami. _Why?_ Mako reached for her arm and she let herself be led away from Korra. _Were all of those words earlier about being friends fake?_

Asami glanced over her shoulder again, and Korra looked at her with that same mix of feelings: like she was sorry, understanding and determined all at once. It was so sincere, so… **real** , and it wouldn't leave her mind. _Korra was willing to give up her friendship, even with no evidence, she is firmly standing by it. Why? What does she have to gain? She's going to lose everything. Is she… No._ Korra was wrong. Her father was the only one who'd been there for her all those years. There was no way he'd do something like this. He was kind and just and patient and smart and he wouldn't do any of those awful things the Equalists did.

When Chief Beifong found that tunnel beneath her father's workshop, her mind was screaming no.

"I don't understand. There must be an explanation." Asami said, suddenly feeling sick but still trying to logically explain this. She half-expected Korra to gloat, to tell them: I told you so. And the other half expected Korra to spring up that Asami might be part of it. But the Avatar didn't. Instead, Korra was full of understanding and compassion.

"Maybe you don't know everything about your father." Korra said, her voice full of regret. "I'm sorry."

Korra glanced back at them, her eyes apologizing to Asami. Asami clasped her fingers tightly, still not making heads or tails of this situation. Korra shifted over to Mako who looked away with guilt.

 _Dad... why? Was I not enough?_

"Asami, you should stay here. We'll check it out." Mako said, after knocking out their babysitter. Korra and the others were taking long, and that sound they had heard…

"I have to find out the truth about my father." Asami said. She was full of conflicting emotions: sadness, fear, worry, determination.

"I understand. That's why I'm going down, to find out for you. Please." Mako finished, not wishing for his girlfriend to get any more hurt.

"Alright." Asami looked away, understanding Mako's sentiments. "Be careful."

Her hands still clasped as she worriedly looked at her boyfriend. She glanced at guard who was still tied up. She didn't know if she was ready to face her father if he really was with the Equalists. What if her father was being set-up as well? She had to go and find out herself, there was no way out of this. She _needed_ to do this. Steeling herself for what was to come, she followed the benders down the tunnel. _If_ he was an Equalist, he would've been completely prepared for those benders, her father was rarely unprepared, and that meant the others were in danger.

Her eyes widened as she heard her father's speech and the _hatred_ in his voice. _No, no, no, no, no._ This wasn't her father. This wasn't the Hiroshi Sato that she knew. This was a dream, a nightmare, this wasn't real. But when her father advanced on the two brothers, their eyes alert and defensive, Asami knew that she had to do something. She knew that this was happening. That he did hate benders.

 _Spirits, why didn't I notice? I'm sorry too, Korra. For my father being like this. I… I never knew._

"Dad! Stop!" Asami said, wanting to prevent him from committing further atrocities, wanting to bring him back, to see his smiling face again. This was wrong, and she couldn't allow him to hurt anyone else.

Hiroshi Sato turned in surprise.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra opened her eyes slowly, still dazed from being knocked out. Then she heard Hiroshi offer someone to join him. She saw pale colored person, with long, jet-black hair… _Asami._

Her eyes were open now, and her mind was awake, hoping against hope that Asami wouldn't take it. But at the same time, wishing that Asami didn't have to be hurt. From her perspective, she could see Hiroshi offer Asami a glove and an uncertain look on Asami's face. She saw the raven-haired girl reach out, her arm trembling as she reached out.

 _She's scared._ Korra realized. _So am I._

Korra held her breath. Asami took the glove and wore it. Korra saw the dark glint in Asami's eyes, a darkness she hadn't known the raven-haired woman could muster. But it wasn't just anger, there was sadness swirled in there too, along with determination.

"No." She heard Mako utter to her side, she was still leaning on him for support.

"I love you, Dad." Asami said right before she decisively struck him with the glove her own father had created.

Korra's mouth was agape as she watched Hiroshi fall because of his own daughter and as she easily took down the other Equalist.

 _That's… her dad. She…_

The remaining mechs turned to face them and they made their quick escape. There wasn't any time to think about it. For now.

 _She just saved us._

Korra glanced toward the end of the airships, where Asami stood staring out, to the estate they had just left behind. She knew that Asami was probably having a very hard time right now, but after being the one that exposed her father, Korra didn't feel like the best person to approach her. Not to mention the fact that they had barely gotten to know each other.

Mako entered into her field of view.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you. But Asami's dad being an Equalist is not an easy thing to believe. Even now." Mako apologized. Korra felt like she should have felt angrier at his general lack of trust in her but she knew that it had been difficult for her to fathom as well. Until she heard that phone call. And that wasn't much evidence to begin with. Mako was logical, and it hadn't appeared logical at first.

"I know." Korra said in understanding, "I'm sorry this whole thing happened."

Their fight, Asami losing her father, Korra felt it was somehow her fault that it was falling apart. She wanted to do something for Asami. After all, if it wasn't for Korra, Asami would still have her father. _Well, those were his choices, but… I still want to do something for her._

"So. Does your offer to live at the Air Temple still stand?" Mako asked, breaking Korra from her thoughts.

"Of course it does." Korra smiled at him, then looked behind him, "And Asami's welcome too."

"Thank you so much."

Korra put a hand on Mako's shoulder, "After everything she's been through, she's going to need you Mako."

This was her way of giving him her blessing. If she was honest, she still liked Mako. But she also appreciated Asami, so she was going to try and put aside those feelings. She had decided that the moment Asami had taken them to the racetrack. But this, now, cemented that. Mako and Asami should be together. Korra believed Asami was right for him. The girl was kind and forgiving and brave and strong and stood by justice even against someone she loved, she deserved to be loved with all one's heart and Mako could give that to her.

Korra watched as Mako approached his girlfriend, as he placed his hand on her shoulder. She kept her eyes on them as Asami buried herself into Mako's chest. She knew that it hurt, Asami had attacked her father to protect her friends.

 _No. Not just her friends. She stood her ground against what she saw was an injustice. I can't fail them now._

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Tenzin said you can go back to the main island to get your stuff after Chief Beifong makes sure it's safe."Asami heard Korra's loud voice.

"Thanks, Korra."Came Mako's reply.

"Wait, where's Asami?"

"She's in one of the pavilions."

"What? Why aren't you with her? I thought I told you that she needs you now more than ever." Korra admonished him. Korra had lowered her voice but Asami could still make out their conversation.

"I—she wanted to be left alone."

"So… you just left her? Really? I mean, she just lost her dad, do you really think she wants to be alone?"

"But this is Asami. I told her I'd be right here but I think she prefers to be by herself right now." Mako said.

"Well—I guess." Korra said unsurely, "Some people do need time alone to think by themselves."

Asami wondered what Korra thought, imagining the girl sighing. Asami unconsciously glanced at their direction. Bright blue eyes, full of concern, blinked at her. Asami felt so…There was a flash of confusion on Korra's face and Asami looked away.

 _Of course, how could Korra trust her now? Her father had just tried to kill them. And he… the hate in his voice, the wild look in his eyes. It was so different from how she saw him. No, she just couldn't consider the possibility. Not when he had been so supportive of her. His reluctance to go to Pro-bending matches, to even allow her to go herself. That man in the booth. Maybe he had been showing signs but she had never taken the time to notice._

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra padded through the pavilion area. Mako and Bolin had fallen asleep in exhaustion while waiting for the Chief. Korra however, found sleeping was out of the question. She had thought about taking Naga for another run but decided against it. She didn't know when Chief Beifong would arrive and would rather not have them go and search for her when there were other things that should be more important.

The stars were shining brightly tonight, and a beautiful moon further illuminated the dimly lit pathway. Nights like these gave her a sense of awe of the world and a feeling of being able to do anything.

But she couldn't do anything. Just hours before, she had just been completely defeated and almost captured by Hiroshi Sato. _So weak. What kind of Avatar are you? The worst Avatar ever. You can't even airbend, you can't attain the Avatar State and you're always getting beat up. Aang achieved his Avatar State much earlier than you did!_

A sudden movement in one of the pavilions caught Korra's eye. She immediately got into a defensive position. Was it an Equalist attack? Hiroshi Sato come back to finish the job while Tenzin and Lin were gone?

Long, black hair moved with the gentle breeze, a lone silhouette against the shining moon. It was a Sato. But it wasn't Hiroshi.

 _The reason we're still here now._

Korr was about to turn around and find another spot when she noticed Asami was shivering. It wasn't that cold, was it? Then again, she was from the Water Tribe.

Korra remembered the lost look Asami had when their eyes met earlier. And how alone she seemed.

 _Alone._

She remembered how lonely it was in the compound she had been staying at while growing up. And sometimes, that was still how she felt in Republic City. She was glad she had Bolin and Mako now, and the airbending kids and hopefully, Asami. But back then, she would've done anything for a friend. Katara had been there at times, but even Katara had other duties to attend to.

"Ah, spirits." Korra muttered and moved back toward the main building. There was still some tea leaves left. Katara had teased her that her tea-bending was not up to par, but it was better than nothing. If only to lessen the loneliness the other girl felt, and somehow, make amends for being a catalyst for all the pain.

She wasn't sorry she had busted Hiroshi. But she felt sorry for hurting Asami. After all, Asami had been nothing but nice to her, even if she had been not so friendly.

"Here."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Here." A cup of hot tea was presented to her. Asami looked up in surprise. Blue eyes, concerned, and kind. Korra looked at Asami sheepishly. "Whenever I felt down and lonely, Katara would whip up some tea. I may not be as good, but I… well, er… sorry, I'm not very good at this." She muttered at the end.

Asami stared at the cup in her hand. She barely noticed Korra bite her lip in contemplation.

"It's not poison or anything." Korra tried to joke after a moment, placing the cup in Asami's hands. "I'm sorry. Mako said you wanted to be left alone and here I am intruding in on you. I just wanted to apologize, for treating you the way I did when we first met. I was an ass, and you just kept being friendly with me. I'm glad you're here now. I… I'm really grateful for what you did. You saved us. And I guess, I… I hope we can still be friends. …I'll go now. Don't stay out too long. The cold isn't good for you."

When she felt Korra's warmth leave her area, Asami realized that Korra was trying to be friendly and nice and that she should let Korra know that she appreciated it. Asami reached out to touch Korra's shoulder. Korra turned towards her, an inquisitive look in her eyes.

Eyes that showed complete and utter trust. _How can you trust me so easily? I accused you of being partial to benders, I'm Hiroshi Sato's daughter! And there's no proof that I'm not part of the Equalists._

She had wanted to smile and thank Korra for the sentiments. Instead, Asami voiced her uncertainty, and doubt much to her own surprise. "How can you still trust me? I'm his daughter. I defended him. You don't even have proof I wasn't a part of it."

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"How can you still trust me? I'm his daughter. I defended him. You don't even have proof I wasn't a part of it."

Korra could feel the astonishment and pain laced in Asami's voice. Like she wanted to be reassured of something. Korra didn't think any further.

"My Avatar gut feeling tells me so." Korra grinned, then sobered somewhat. "And because you're amazing. What you did wasn't easy… And I'm sorry you had to do that. But you saved us. And you stood up against your father because you believed what he was doing was wrong. That says something about you. You're strong, and brave, and just amazing."

Asami opened her mouth to argue but Korra cut her off.

"Don't argue. I'm the one who thought you were some beautiful, elegant and prissy, rich girl."

Asami couldn't help but laugh. A gentle, smooth, velvety laugh. Korra decided right then and there that she liked the sound of it. Bolin's laugh had always made her feel good, Mako's always made her feel special, and Asami… well, it made her feel warm. Although it died off too soon for Korra's taste. She wondered if she should stay, Asami didn't seem like she was opposed to the idea of Korra being there. But maybe she was just being dense? She moved forward, if Asami didn't want her there, the girl would probably say so. Asami glanced back at her and seemed to understand Korra's uncertainty. Those emerald eyes that were usually so playful were now filled with woe but Asami indicated for Korra to join her.

"Thank you. And I'm sorry for berating you for accusing my father just because he was a non-bender."

Korra shook her head, "He's your Dad. Of course you'd believe in him more than me. We barely know each other. I'm just really grateful you saved us."

Silence fell over them as they stood near each other, watching the moon rise in the sky. She remembered the times when she had felt so lost and alone back in the Southern Water Tribe. Katara had been there for her. While she wasn't as wise as Master Katara, she imagined that talking about good things would help Asami sort through herself. _It's not like I can ask her to talk about her father. We're not that close, and she probably doesn't want to talk about it, at least, not with me._

"Katara told me how the spirit of the moon was Sokka's first love." Korra finally spoke up again.

"That was the legend about Princess Yue if I remember correctly?" Asami answered softly after a moment of pause.

"Yup!" Korra tried to keep a light tone, "But it was real. Princess Yue was Aang's friend, and Katara, Aang and Sokka were training in the Northern Water Tribe when it was nearly destroyed. Aang, along with Princess Yue, who had become the new moon spirit, drove back the Fire Nation. Katara said Sokka had been completely smitten with the Northern Water Tribe princess and the loss had a lasting effect on his life. And on nights like these, Sokka would stand under the light of the moon and gaze at it."

"He must have really loved her."

"That's what Katara said." Korra smiled at the memory, "Whenever I felt lonely, she'd tell me all these stories about their adventures together. Although I always made her jump to the exciting parts. That was one of the few stories that I didn't just focus on the fighting."

"You must have been a handful back then."

"Yeah, I guess." Korra massaged the back of her neck in embarrassment. "I still am. Chief Beifong's been on my case since I set foot on Republic City." Korra grinned, "And I pretty much sneaked out to watch, and eventually join the Pro-bending tournament. Although Tenzin and I worked that one out."

"I can't believe you were able to sneak out of this place." Asami glanced around, "There seem to be a lot of guards stationed here."

"Years of practice." Korra admitted. She noticed Asami shudder a bit when the wind blew in. She cocked her head to the side, wondering if she should invite Asami inside or…

The two of them turned at the sound of footsteps.

"Um, Chief Beifong's back, we should go, uh, get our things." Mako awkwardly gestured to Asami. Korra noticed the surprise on his face and she shrugged. The taller girl nodded and stepped forward, placing her hand into Mako's offered one.

"Oh. I'll send the Air Acolytes to help you." Korra suggested.

"Really? Thanks, Korra." Mako smiled warmly at her. Korra nodded enthusiastically. Asami looked at her, nodding as well.

"Thank you, Korra. And, I've always wanted to be friends with you." Asami smiled, it wasn't a huge one. But it somehow reached her eyes. Korra smiled back as Mako shot unsure glances between the two.

* * *

 **A/N:** A lot of things seem to get in the way of that possible great friendship (and romantic relationship in the future). But I kind of wanted them to have another moment to show how great their friendship could be. It won't be all sunshine and daisies but I think it would start them on the right track, a glimpse of what they could be, if there wasn't so much bullshit in between and without all the issues they have to take up that doesn't allow them to let their friendship fester to closer friends.

I guess I also wanted to show the difference between how Mako and Asami/Korra approach certain emotional problems (for this one, Korra). I can talk a lot more about what I think about that but this'll end up too long.

Will probably update sometime the middle of this coming week. I've written most of the next chapter but my mind sometimes jumps to other moments so I write that instead (book 3-4 stuff) and I want to post these things in chronological order. I've set myself a deadline so it might force my mind to focus better.

Thanks for reading :)


	5. Did you know Korra likes Mako?

_**(Korra)**_

Korra saw the ferry leave from the main island and jumped to leave her room, ending up with her nearly running into Jinora.

"Someone's excited to see that cute firebender boy." The younger girl teasingly grinned at Korra. The tanned girl felt heat rush to her cheeks.

"What? No! I mean, I _am_ excited, but not just for Mako. It's the first time friends stayed over at my place. I mean, it isn't my place, and they're definitely going to have their own rooms. But my friends are over here! And Asami's going to stay in this dorm with us." Korra took in a deep breath.

 _Asami… I wonder if she's feeling better. Last night felt like a dream, just talking to her like that, after all the crap that happened. I swear I'm going to try and make her feel like this place is her home. And Bolin and Mako as well. Well, the whole island's practically agreed to make them feel as welcome as they could, what with all that's happened._

"You're starting to sound like Ikki." Korra looked down at a smirking Jinora.

"Where is your little sister and brother?" Korra looked around, realizing that they weren't around.

"They're probably with the sky bisons. I noticed the ferry as well and decided to inform you. But it seems you already knew."

Korra threw her a pointed look and Jinora just smiled.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I just… it's been a mess." Korra said as she gestured for them to start walking outside. "Asami's been great and then…"

 _We almost died. And Asami… Asami had to attack her father. Her own father._

"You know, it's not your fault that Hiroshi Sato is an Equalist." Jinora finally spoke up again.

"I know that." Korra frowned, "Why did you bring it up?"

"No reason."

"I just want her to feel better. She is my friend now after all. And I don't like seeing people suffer like that. Especially not someone like her."

 _I didn't know being right could make a person feel so… weird._

"Someone like her?"

Naga came running toward Korra as the pair made it outside. Korra shrugged as she greeted Naga.

"She lost her Mom at a young age, then she loses her Dad to… this. And she's been nothing but kind and helpful and friendly. And she even stood against her father because she knew he was wrong. She saved us and I just… she's really great."

"Korra!" Ikki jumped on top of the tanned girl, laughing and grinning, "They're almost here!"

"I know, Ikki." Korra chuckled, Meelo soon followed, whipping around the three girls. "C'mon, let's go and meet them."

They made their way to the docks, three kids, the Avatar and a polar bear dog. Korra really was looking forward to having them over. She never really had any friends when she was younger. And now she had Mako, Bolin, and even Asami. Maybe especially Asami? She was after all, the first girl in her age group that she could be friends with. Someone who was just as much of an adrenaline junkie as she was.

Korra waved and smiled at them as they neared the port. She grinned further when she saw Bolin lean over the edge of the boat. Mako was smiling back as well before Korra's eyes finally landed on Asami. Korra took note of the smile on the engineer's lips. _I guess she's finally calmed down. I'm glad. She's pretty tough. But I already knew that._

While her feelings for Mako hadn't gone away, something which Jinora had reminded of her earlier, she was sure now in her decision not to act on it. She really did want to be friends with Asami, along with Mako and Bolin. After all, if Mako and Asami made each other happy, then that was good. Both of them deserved it, especially Asami.

"You're finally here!" Ikki's excited voice broke Korra away from her thoughts. "Welcome to Air Temple Island! Your new home!"

Korra grinned, she wasn't the only one excited to have new people over. She fondly watched as Meelo and Ikki played around with Pabu and Naga—Ikki chasing the Fire Ferret and Meelo pretended that her polar bear dog was a sky bison.

"Thanks for sending the Air Acolytes to help us with the move." Mako's voice caused Korra to turn towards him and Asami.

"Yes, they've been amazing." Asami added. "Such tireless workers."

Korra raised her eyebrow when two air acolytes appeared carrying a towering load of luggage. _I need to thank them profusely later._ "Oh. I thought you were only bringing a few things."

The last part of her statement ended with a higher note as the air acolytes nearly stumbled forward, causing the tanned girl to panic slightly as it might fall on top of them.

"Trust me, it could have been worse." Mako stated. He and Bolin both just carried one bag each. She glanced at Asami, feeling the urge to tease the older girl, but she wasn't so sure if Asami would welcome it, the other girl might take it the wrong way. She decided not to push her luck and just be straightforward in her welcome.

"No problem." Korra shrugged off, "Everyone here wants you guys to feel welcome."

"Meelo, why don't you go with the boys' too?" Korra suggested to the youngest airbending child when Jinora had lead the two bending brothers to the boy's dorm. She had a feeling that Asami would just grow uncomfortable with the overzealous attention Korra was sure Meelo would place on Asami.

"We shall meet again soon, beautiful woman." Meelo bade them farewell.

"Ikki and I will take you to your room this way." Korra said, heading the opposite direction. She slowed down her walk so Asami could catch up to them. Korra stole a sidelong glance at the taller teen. Asami seemed to be lost in her thoughts. _Should I just let her mull things over or get her out of her head?_

After a moment, she decided to bring Asami out of her thoughts. "So. We're going to be rooming near each other."

Korra could feel Asami look in her direction but Korra didn't bother to look. She felt slightly awkward about what she was doing. "The Air Acolytes should already have your luggage placed in there. Although I don't know if it would all fit."

That's when she glanced at Asami, wondering if the light tease was taken badly. Instead she found an amused smile on the other girl's lips. _I made her smile. Good._

"I—." Korra started to say. _I what? What are you going to say? Anything. Anything to preoccupy the girl's mind._

"I'm grateful for your invitation." Asami gently said. Korra looked up in surprise. "We both know you didn't have to."

"I wanted to." Korra immediately answered, "We're friends. And I was hoping we could spend some more time together, after I ran out on you guys the other day."

Asami seemed to tense which Korra immediately picked up on. _Genius, you reminded her of the thing you said you wanted to distract her from._

"So. You race cars, you know how to defend yourself and can totally kick-ass while looking so perfect. What else can you do?"

"I do not look perfect." Asami argued.

"Hey! I'm just saying it as I see it."

Asami scoffed.

"Korra! Asami! Come on!" Ikki had stopped in front of the door and turned back to look at the two teenage girls.

"Slow down, Ikki." Korra smirked before turning to Asami, both of them sharing an understanding look. "Let's go. Before she decides to come back and airbend us forward."

The two of them joined Ikki, their footsteps echoing in the nearly empty hallway.

"Asami, did you know Korra likes Mako?" Ikki asked innocently.

Korra felt as if a bolt of lightning struck her and flames explode as she panicked. _Just when she had told herself to lay low on that! Ikki! That kid! Spirits, what was Asami going to think now? She just wanted to be friends and this was completely going to throw her out of whack._

"Oh, uh, no. I wasn't completely aware of that." Asami said awkwardly. Korra grabbed Asami's arm and dragged her to the room. She opened the door, smiled at Asami and gestured for her to enter then shut the door in Ikki's face.

Korra sighed, _how am I going to deal with this? Should I just pretend that was nothing? Right, act natural, pretend that didn't happen, that it wasn't important. It did not just happen. I mean, Asami's awesome! And we were getting along just fine earlier. I don't want to lose a friend, or make this anymore awkward. I seriously don't want her to find out I like Mako when I've finally decided to forget about it. What if it wrecks everything? I really want to be friends with Asami. She's got enough on her plate anyway. Sheesh, just one problem after another._

Korra scratched the back of her neck nervously, trying to think of how to alleviate the situation.

"Soooo..." She noticed the uneasy look Asami had on her face. _Spirits, keep talking, act normal._ She tried to lighten the tone of her voice, "Here's your room."

She then saw the small smile that graced the elegant lady's lips. And she couldn't help but let one corner of her lip curl up in relief.

"I know this is a little rustic compared to what you're used to."

"I think it's really charming." Asami smiled at Korra as Asami walked further into the room. But that died quickly as a pained look formed briefly on Asami's face. Asami turns her head back toward the window and Korra's left to think if she imagined it. _No. You didn't._ "And the best part about it? Nothing here reminds me of my father."

There was a deep sadness there, even as Asami smiled. Korra wanted to do something to help her newfound friend. She remembered the night before, and how Asami had allowed Korra to see her vulnerable. She hoped that Asami would feel better here on Air Temple Island. Maybe she should clear the air about Mako. But it felt inconsequential now, Mako and Asami were both her friends now. _I wish they taught these things in Avatar training. All I know is how to kick ass. They didn't tell me I had to talk to the press or deal with politicians and so-called saviors out to remove your bending or falling for a guy where I end up wanting to remain friends with the girlfriend._

"Thank you for your hospitality." Asami turned to Korra. She smiled, but Korra could easily see how it didn't reach the girl's emerald eyes. But Korra could feel that Asami was truly appreciative.

Korra knew how it felt to be separated from her parents, but she had never been betrayed like that before. She imagined it must feel really lonely. _She has no one now, no one except us._ Korra was struggling to find the words to assure Asami that they would be there for her when a loud knock came. _Ikki! Does she not know how much I want to strangler her right now? Ugh. Just when we it felt like we could finally talk and… ugh. Ikki!_

"Ikki! I swear! If you don't leave us alone, I'm gonna—." Korra pointed at the door in irritation but was suddenly cut short by the appearance of Master Tenzin. Korra's emotions were all over her face. Heat rushed to her cheeks, eyes wide and she grit her teeth realizing her embarrassing mistake. "Uh... Tenzin! Come right in."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

 _Korra likes Mako? That explains all the hostility at first. Did I intrude on anything when I invited the Fire Ferrets' captain for a date?_

"Sooo…" Korra awkwardly started. Asami wondered if things would get awkward between the two. She didn't want to, she really thought Korra was amazing and had wanted to be her friend. But liking Mako… _Can we just pretend that didn't happen? Let me gather my thoughts first. Please?_

As if Korra could read her mind, the Water Tribe girl brightened, "Here's your room. I know this is a little rustic compared to what you're used to."

Asami smiled at Korra's attempt to treat her the same. "It's really charming."

But then she remembered exactly why she was here in the first place, she took a deep breath, trying to keep the dark thoughts away, "And the best part about it? Nothing here reminds me of my father."

She turned to Korra, another smile on her lips. "Thank you for your hospitality."

She saw _something_ in the younger girl's eyes. It wasn't pity, far from it, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. As if Korra could understand but then a conflict of other emotions were seen bubbling just below the surface. Emotions that Asami couldn't quite comprehend. And just when Korra seemed ready to say anything, a loud knock interrupted them. Asami wanted to laugh at the comical look of irritation Korra had on.

"Ikki! I swear! If you don't leave us alone, I'm gonna-" Korra was obviously peeved. Asami was surprised and embarrassed when the one who opened the door was none other than the Master Airbender of Air Temple Island. Korra was obviously just as embarrassed. "Uh... Tenzin! Come right in."

 _Honestly, can this girl be any more adorable? …Still, weird for us to like the same guy. I guess I better watch out if maybe I did intrude on something. I don't want to lose Mako too. She's pretty amazing after all. Strong, determined and beautiful, those eyes could drive you crazy. Even I found her attractive the moment she removed her helmet. And her honesty and unflinching desire to stand by what's right, it's just so refreshing. I'm… nothing._

Korra glanced at her when Tenzin informed them that they'd be going to the press conference, an apologetic look on the girl's face.

"I can manage from here." Asami said, "Avatar duty calls, right?"

Asami collapsed onto the mattress when they left. _Alone. Again._

She barely had any sleep the night before and she felt completely exhausted, but she just couldn't fall asleep. She truly was grateful for Korra's invitation. Being away from the main island meant she was away from the press and everything her father had built.

 _Korra… now I guess I understand why you were so hostile at first. But you changed your mind, why? Mako and I are still together. Are you over him? Or are you waiting for an opportunity to steal him from me? No. If she wanted to steal Mako, she wouldn't have had to invite me over. I still have a place to stay back in the city. They may have placed the area under investigation, but they did allow me to stay there. And Korra's just so honest and expressive, I doubt she'd think that up._

 _So why did you change your mind? You always seem like a puzzle. And every time I feel like I'm close to solving you, you show me a whole other side I have yet to figure out. You really have been giving me one hell of a rollercoaster of emotions. It's like you've been a part of this whole spectrum of feelings I've been having recently._

 _And Mako… what did he think of Korra? I like her, I truly do. She's straightforward, brave, righteous, strong, compassionate, fierce and determined. She acts, doesn't let injustice prevail and stands up for what she believes in, even when threatened by others. I really admire her. So why wouldn't he? What if I just never gave him the chance to say no? But if he likes her… he'll say it, right?_

 _Your own father didn't tell you the truth. No, Mako's different. He's not Dad. But I guess I have to watch out. If I was him and Korra liked me, I would definitely pick Korra. Better than some broken up heiress, right?_

A knock came at her door, jolting the engineer from her thoughts.

"Asami? It's Jinora. Korra said you might want to have an "upgraded tour" than what Ikki gave you."

Asami opened the sliding doors, about to decline the invitation. But Jinora seemed to read the girl's mind.

"Oh, and Korra said you aren't allowed to say no. Mako and Bolin are coming along as well. I know you would like to have time for yourself, but I think Korra felt bad for leaving the three of you alone just as soon as you got on the island."

"Alright." Asami agreed, "Although we pretty much did see the island."

Jinora nodded, "It is small, but its home. But there are some areas Ikki didn't mention. Besides, Bolin seems excited to see the sky bisons."

Asami chuckled, _of course he would be._ A sudden thought entered her mind, _did Jinora know about Korra's feelings for Mako? Well, if Ikki knew, Jinora would know too, right? Is that how it was? Or did Ikki just happen to find out? Jinora does seem more mature, would Korra have confided in her? She's still young though._

Asami shook her head, _there's no use thinking about it now._

"Asami." Mako's lips curled up when she approached. Bolin waited off to the side, grinning at her.

They took a quick tour on the island's facilities. Asami was especially intrigued by the library and asked Jinora if she could go there sometime, which Jinora agreed to. Mako also seemed interested to come along and said he would join her sometime. And of course, Bolin excitedly fed the sky bisons.

"We have one last stop to make." Jinora said. At this, Mako took Asami's hand in his and started following Jinora.

"Wait, what about Bolin?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. Pabu and I will spend more time with the sky bisons. We'll catch up with you later!" Bolin announced, having heard Asami's question.

Their last stop was a beach. Waves crashed the shore quietly and Asami frowned. _Why were they here?_

"Korra enjoys going to these parts of the island. She suggested that the both of you might enjoy it as well." Jinora spoke up. Asami then heard giggles up ahead and that's when she finally found out why Ikki and Meelo had been missing: the two airbending kids were grinning widely at them and a picnic blanket was set-up behind them.

"I, uh, well, I hope you like it." Mako said in embarrassment.

"Hmph, the beautiful lady has me to thank for this." Meelo crossed his arms.

"Meelo, Ikki, come on. Mom will want us to help out with the vegetables. We promised Korra to leave them alone, remember?" Jinora told her siblings.

 _Korra? Why would Korra bother about this? Didn't Ikki say she liked Mako?_

"Aww, but!"

"Are you going to disobey the Avatar, Meelo?" Jinora asked. Meelo puffed.

"Of course not! Let's go Ikki!" The three airbending kids sped off toward the temple.

"I wanted to spend some time with you and I didn't know what to do so Korra suggested this." Mako cleared his throat, "Do you like it?"

She never really imagined Mako doing this on his own, but was really appreciative of the gesture nonetheless. She was also grateful to Korra who seemed to be thinking of the two of them as well.

"Of course I like it. You are so sweet." Asami kissed him then grabbed his hand and led him toward the picnic blanket, a smile on her face. "How did you get the food?"

"Pema offered some of their vegetables." Mako informed her, "Me and Bolin cooked some things up. It has no meat though, since they are all vegetarian. And I promised Pema I'd replace it."

"You can cook?" Asami asked in surprise.

"How do you think Bolin and I lived off the streets?" Mako raised his eyebrow. "I had to learn. And he tried to help. So we both know a few recipes. It's not exactly Kwong's…"

Asami reached over to squeeze his hand and kiss him again. "No. This is perfect. Thank you so much."

 _Mako's doing this for me. And Korra's just as good as signaled that she was giving us her blessing. I'm glad everything seems fine._

Asami enjoyed herself. They ate and she found herself wrapped in Mako's arms. It made her feel warm and loved and content and _safe_. That was until she realized that they were talking about Korra way too much.

 _Spirits, does he like her? I admire and like her too, but… I wouldn't talk about her this much. Okay, maybe I did back when I wanted to learn as much as I could about her. But Mako… did I barge in on something? Was I selfishly just going about it my own way?_

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra stared at the Air Temple Island as they flew on top of Oogi. Another conversation cut-off. It always seemed that anytime their friendship would be getting somewhere, something always had to come up. _First my stubborn jealousy that made me want to think she was just some prissy heiress, then when I finally realized how completely wrong I was, the Equalist mess with her Dad. After that, all of our conversations seemed to tether on that edge of being over and not over I figure out there's some things I should say to her. But just as it seemed that we had something to talk about—like her feelings, or my feelings—it gets cut off. And now I have to meet the stupid press again. At least I'm not the one talking._

Korra let out a sigh. _At least Mako should be able to do something back there. Asami's the worst one off out of us._

"Are you alright?" Tenzin's concerned tone reminded Korra that she wasn't alone.

"I'm fine. Is it really okay for Chief Beifong to resign?"

"She has no choice. Tarrlok's been breathing down her neck ever since she refused to play by his rules. But she knew that she had been playing into his hands since protecting the pro-bending arena, but she didn't want to bow down to Amon either. Something you two seem to have in common. Do not worry. Lin won't let Amon simply take over the city. None of us will."

Korra nodded slowly. _Amon… Why can he remove bending? How? I… I don't want that to be taken from me. The Avatar is the master of the four elements, the bridge between the spirit world and the physical world, the one who restores balance to the world. I am the Avatar, and I have to do my duty, I have to protect the people, and restore balance. If my own bending can be removed… I am really not looking forward to our fight. But I have to. I have to protect everyone._

* * *

 **A/N:** I honestly think Mako would try as a boyfriend. I believe Asami's and Mako's relationship was pretty much a desire to fulfill this ideal, to be the ideal boyfriend, ideal girlfriend, to make everything right. Their feelings of care for each other are genuine. But at the same time, the things they do and feel are kind of based on that what they believe a relationship would be.


	6. Equality

**_Disclaimer:_** Don't own Legend of Korra or its characters.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Hey, have you seen Korra?"

Asami looked up from her book and found a worried Mako looking at her. She eyed him suspiciously.

Their picnic had ended earlier with an internal argument over whether or not Mako liked Korra. Mako hadn't noticed though and had been all smiles as they walked hand in hand back to the temple. She had wondered if maybe Mako was just with her because… well, it was easy. She had practically offered herself to him, and she knew that she wasn't easy to say no to. _Korra was the rare exception to that._

She had never been one to sit back and let something she wanted slip away. At least, before this whole mess. And he was definitely someone she had wanted—who wouldn't? He was a seemingly ideal guy, and their relationship had been nearly everything she expected to have in one. She had dated before him, had relationships as well. But those usually ended up with the person either talking too much about themselves or going too fast, or just not meeting each other's expectations. Mako had met all of hers, and she really did care for him, and she felt it was the same for her as well. But the way he talked about Korra earlier…

"No. Why? Did something happen?" Asami's tone carried more of her emotions than she'd wish as she winced at the sound of jealousy in her voice. But Mako didn't seem to notice, his thoughts seemingly elsewhere.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Mako… it was just, well, Korra was so amazing. And she didn't want to lose Mako. She had already lost her father, and practically her whole world.

"Not really, I guess. Master Tenzin was just worried about her. He said that Korra's not feeling well and asked if we could talk to her, being her teammates and all. He mentioned Korra's been having trouble with airbending and Tarrlok pushing her down." Mako explained, "Well, I'll go look for her some more. I'm kind of worried about her. She never really says much about these Avatar things and I don't really like prying, but…" A worried look crossed his face and Asami couldn't prevent her jealous bout. But it was swiftly overcome by the concern Asami felt for the young Avatar.

"I'll help look." Asami offered quickly. Korra had allowed them to stay on the island, had invited her, even if Korra didn't actually have to. She could've just offered it to Mako and Bolin. But a part of her knew that she also offered because she didn't like Mako to be alone to comfort the Avatar.

"Alright."

Jealous thoughts were pushed away as Mako told her about what Tenzin had said happened between Tarrlok and Korra. The frown deepening on her face with each sentence. Tarrlok had always been a typical power-hungry politician. Her father usually dealt with him pleasantly but both of them didn't like the way he played people. And the way he had so callously brought up Korra's lack of airbending capabilities.

 _If I had been there I'd have coldly reminded him that Avatar Aang had yet to master the elements when he faced the Fire Nation. And his companions weren't even half the age Tarrlok was. The Avatar had more powers than Tarrlok could ever imagine._

"There you are." Bolin said when the three of them finally found her on the edge of the cliff. Concern and gentleness laced his voice. "Are you okay?"

This was the first time Asami had actually seen Korra so… dejected. She had seen the young Avatar pissed, happy, excited, annoyed, but not this. Not even when Mako had threatened to cut off their friendship when Korra wouldn't let up about Asami's own father supporting the Equalist. Korra had been hurt, but also determined.

 _She was determined to do the right thing, just as I did when I stopped Dad. Even if it meant losing those we care about._

This was different though. Her shoulders were slumped and the usual fire ball of energy that was Korra seemed very meek and insecure. Master Tenzin was probably right to be worried. _Not so different from you now, is she? So what?_

"I'm fine." Korra tried to play it off. Something Asami had been doing often enough as well. But Korra was obviously not fine.

"C'mon, what's wrong?" Mako prodded. "You can tell us."

Korra let out a long sigh. "How am I supposed to save the city when I can't even learn airbending? I'm the worst Avatar ever! I just feel… alone."

That struck a chord in Asami. The rawness in Korra's voice. _She's so much more than just the Avatar people make her to be, she's human too. And she's…_ Flashes of the first time she ever saw Korra in a Pro-bending match, the excited look on her face when they raced around the Satomobile track, to the night she had seen the girl on the docks, then to Korra's determination to do what was right, even when her friends—the guy she was said to like—had warned her that their friendship would end. Flashes of that night Korra had been there for her. Korra saying that Asami was amazing.

 _Korra's wrong. I'm not amazing, but she is._

"No, that's nonsense! You're amazing!" Asami blurted out. _And beautiful and spirited and so many things that I can never hope to match up to._ Korra had faults, blatantly obvious faults, but most of those stemmed from her desire to do the right thing. She strived so hard to do her duty as the Avatar, to prove herself even if she was brash and sometimes a little bit too reckless. Asami knew that whatever Korra's actions were, they were borne out of a desire to do the right thing.

"Yeah, and remember: Aang hadn't mastered all the elements when he was battling the Fire Nation. He was just a little kid." Mako added. Asami nodded in agreement.

"And he wasn't alone. He had his friends to help him." Bolin added, "Look, the Arena may be shut down, but we're still a team! The new team Avatar!"

"We got your back Korra, and we can save the city, together." Mako finished. He placed his hand on top of Asami's, and smiled at her. Asami was surprised but sent a small smile back as Bolin joined his hand with theirs.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Korra smiled. Asami's smile grew when she saw this. Suddenly, a wave of fart-bending happened when Meelo appeared on top of their hands.

"Yeah, let's do it!" He repeated then slouched, "What are we doing?"

The four of them laughed, and right now, Asami didn't feel so alone anymore either. Hopefully, Korra didn't either.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Asami, you always know how to accessorize your outfits." Mako smirked. Korra turned to find the non-bender with her left hand on her hip and an Equalist glove on her right hand.

"I figure one way to fight Equalists, is to use an Equalist weapon." Asami let out a small electric shock. Korra grinned, appreciating the light but confident tone Asami took and the way the glow of the electricity from the glove seemed to highlight Asami's features. Where once she had admired Asami's nearly perfect features with jealousy, now she simply grinned as the determination in Asami's emerald eyes boosted her confidence in what they were about to do.

"Alright, let's ride!" She punched her palm, hopped onto Naga then turned to offer her hand to the next one. If you weren't used to getting on Naga, it could be pretty difficult. But it seemed Mako had the same idea as he was already helping Asami up behind Korra. She retracted her hand quickly and moved to pet Naga's head instead.

"Thanks, Korra." Asami said to Korra, the smile evident in her voice. Korra's brows furrowed.

"For what?"

"The hand. I noticed you offered. The gesture should not go unappreciated." There was a playful tone in Asami's voice. Korra tried to think up a response but was cut off by Bolin's voice.

"Naga away!" Bolin shouted as he jumped up behind Mako. Naga growled and bent her head to the ground, leading to Korra getting squished under three other bodies. Asami's hands had grabbed at her sides as they fell, trying to go against gravity. She also felt Mako's hands between Asami's stomach and her own lower back. But the greatest feeling she had was of the soft earth in her mouth.

"Pfft." She grumbled at her polar bear dog. Naga only tilted her head a bit, as if innocently asking what was wrong. _Naga…_ "Alright, scratch that. Any other ideas?"

Korra watched as Asami stood up and flipped her hair, a confident look on the young heiress' face as she put her left hand on her chin in a thoughtful position. She again found herself following the motions of the way Asami's hair flipped, noting the sharp playfulness in her eyes, and the way her lips curled up in a slight smirk. Korra was starting to associate this look to Asami having an idea that would allow her to show off.

 _She's always so confident._

A confidence that seemed to be the same yet at the same time different from Korra's.

"Hmm. I think I have the answer." She smirked.

Korra squinted when bright lights emerged from the garage, racing towards them. Asami pulled the breaks and the car skidded to a stop in front of them. The wind did the flipping this time, and Asami cocked her head, playfully boasting. "You think this will do?"

Korra didn't know about the other two, but she was impressed with Asami as usual. She grinned and jumped into the back of the car with Bolin. Asami's idea was brilliant, and she couldn't help but be excited. After all, she had been right behind the racer, able to see how amazing a driver Asami was up close and personal.

Korra felt adrenaline rush through her veins as Asami shifted the Satomobile into gear, chasing after the Equalists. They drifted through the two other vehicles, grazing the second but Asami expertly handled it and they barely lost speed. A truck appeared at the intersection, and they just kept racing toward it.

"Korra, Bolin! Give me a ramp! Now!" Asami instructed. Without a glance at each other, Korra and Bolin immediately set-up the ramp they needed and flew over the truck. _Guess all those practices have had other uses as well. Bolin and I are working in perfect sync._

When they landed, Korra couldn't help but notice the look of enjoyment Asami seemed to have for a split second before focusing on getting them nearer to the tail end of the Equalist escapees. Mako immediately stood up and threw a burst of lightning at the nearest motorcycle's tire. Bolin then threw a multitude of small but sharp rocks at the next one and was able to burst the tire as well.

 _Two down, more to go._ Korra readied herself to attack the next one but the two motorcycles in front of them released smoke screen directly onto their vehicle. She blocked her eyes from the smoke.

"Help me out, we gotta make this turn!" Asami called out.

Korra immediately stood up, forcing her eyes to clear just for a moment. _I'm not going to let them get away._ She earthbended a ramp to guide the car the second her eyes cleared.

"They don't know we made the turn. Get ready…" Asami gunned the car to bump into the two motorcycles in front of them. The riders were thrown off their bikes but were able to recover and landed on their Satomobile.

Mako sent a wave of fire at one Equalist, but the masked person dodged and captured Mako's wrist with a bola-like instrument. Using the other end, the Equalist pulled the firebender toward him. Mako threw another fire punch at the Equalist but his other wrist was also easily captured in a similar fashion. The second Equalist jumped onto Bolin and Bolin tried to defend himself but was no match for the seemingly hand-to-hand combat experienced Equalist. Asami turned around and grabbed the Equalist's leg and used the glove's electrocution feature. When Korra saw this, she quickly formed an idea and grabbed Mako from behind, unceremoniously pulling him into the back with her, dragging the Equalist into the passenger seat. Asami seemed to understand immediately. As Korra eased herself back into the Satomobile's chair, Asami electrocuted the Equalist. Mako threw the Equalist out of the vehicle and once again let lightning flow through his body and directed it at the driver of the only remaining vehicle: the escape van.

Korra grinned at her friends. Bolin, Mako and her hadn't lost their touch at all and their easy teamwork in the arena was quickly translated to this high speed chase. And she and Asami seemed to work in perfect sync. Korra was glad how easily they had understood each other's thoughts and moves. For the first time in a long while, Korra felt things fall into place.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Did you see Tarrlok's face?" Korra grinned at them. "Man, I loved showing him up. Our teamwork was awesome tonight! Mako's precision with lightning and Bolin's accuracy with those rocks, and Asami's awesome driving and quick attacks! We totally rocked it tonight!"

They were walking along the road, having decided to go for a snack before heading back to Air Temple Island.

"I know! And you and Asami worked really well together." Bolin noted, "I mean, did you see that Mako? When she pulled you into the back seat and in the blink of an eye, Asami electrocuted the guy!"

"No, I didn't Bo. I felt it though." Mako said dryly, "Did you really have to drag me that hard?"

"Aww, it wasn't that bad. You were fine when you were hit by Asami's moped, so I'm sure that you could handle a little bit of roughing up." Korra teased. "And you really were great Asami!"

Asami laughed, "Well, you seemed to trust me enough to handle it so quickly seeing as you immediately eased back to your seat when you pulled Mako in."

"Of course I trust you. I wouldn't doubt you for a second." Korra said confidently, "Your lightning quick reflexes have impressed me so far."

Asami's cheeks seemed to have tints of red at the compliment, but Korra wasn't so sure, maybe it was just the lighting. Asami quickly tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled at Korra.

"Thanks, Korra. That really means a lot to me."

"Korra's right, you were great." Mako agreed, "Me, Korra and Bolin have pro-bending training so we've pretty much kicked up our teamwork, but you fit perfectly in."

"Well, I've had a lot of chances to watch you guys practice." Asami smiled at her boyfriend, "You were great too by the way. You really are a natural with lightning. It was so quick and precise and perfect, sweetie."

"I've just had a lot of practice." Mako seemed pleased, leaning over to kiss Asami. Korra rolled her eyes, this time out of jest than annoyance. But she really wasn't that used to seeing lovey-dovey couples.

"Hey guys, we're here. Ta da!" Bolin threw his arms at the store which seemed to have seen a lot of years.

"Uh, what is this place?" Korra asked.

"It's a dimsum place." Bolin said. "They have the best dumplings in this part of town."

"I'm sorry!"

Four heads turned at the sound coming from the inside of the store. Suddenly, a man flew out and into the street. Three firebenders strode out toward the man. The members of Team Avatar immediately tensed.

"Agni Kai." Mako muttered, "I forgot this is their territory."

Asami seemed to stiffen at the mention of the name and Mako looked at her in concern, knowing what had happened with her mother.

"We'll deal with them." Korra said, confidence oozing her voice.

"No, Korra, don't—." Mako started to say but Korra was already charging forward. He sighed then went to provide back-up. Bolin looked at Asami. Asami already had her glove back on and the two nodded at each other before following their friends forward.

"I don't think that's very nice." Korra smirked at the group of men. The men seemed surprise at the sudden intrusion.

The man in the middle sneered, "Oh yeah? Do you know whose territory this is?"

"I've been told a group calling themselves after an honorable Fire Nation duel claims ownership." Korra said, "Now, if you truly are Agni Kai, then you should know the rules of a duel. But seeing as you have no honor, then I believe our fight means nothing."

"You should watch what you say missy, back-ups just a call away."

"Uh, that girl seems familiar. That water tribe get-up… I've seen it before."

"Shut up, idiot. Who cares if you know her? Were you childhood friends or some of that shit?"

"What? No!" Suddenly a ball of flame went past the two of them and Korra soon followed up by sending earth spikes. Another flame punch came, this time from Mako and Bolin threw two earth squares to follow up Mako's attack on the leftmost Triad member. Asami was left to deal with the last one. She quickly dodged the fire punch the firebender sent. Korra then bended water from the canal and froze her opponent's extremities. She took a glance at Asami and saw the firebending kick and somehow knew that Asami wouldn't be able to dodge both that and the punch heading her way. But before she could strike, Mako sent another bolt of lightning at the Triad member. The target was able to avoid it but it was enough of a distraction for the gang member that Asami was able to quickly land a blow and electrocute the firebender.

"Well, that was easy." Korra cheerfully said as the three lay crumpled on the floor. "All that's left is to notify the police."

"What the hell did you do?" The man that had previously been thrown on the ground had already raised himself up.

"We just saved your ass." Korra said brazenly.

"Korra…" Mako warned. Korra frowned.

"What? We helped him!" Korra defended herself. Mako sighed.

"You did not help me!" the shop owner said, "Now they'll come back and demand double the payment! Do you have any idea where I'll get that money? I can barely keep my shop open! It would've been better to have just been beaten up. This is all you bender's fault! You scum are everything that's wrong with this city!"

"Scum? Listen here—." Korra snarled but a hand on her shoulder made her turn. Mako shook his head.

"We're sorry, sir. How much do you need to pay them?" Mako asked.

"200 yuans!" The man cried out in defeat, "But scum like you wouldn't care about that. You just swoop in whenever you feel like it and then pat yourselves on the back like you're some kind of hero! But you're the only ones feeling good about yourselves. It's all you benders' fault that we're so hard-pressed. The Equalists are the ones helping us and what do you do? You stamp them out, just like you've stamped out the rest of us. Amon will come for you one day."

"Listen here buddy…" Korra growled.

"We'll order food for take out." Bolin immediately cut-in, "Worth 500 yuans, sir. We're really sorry about the mess."

Mako turned to Korra, "Korra, use your brawns. We're going to have to threaten one of these guys."

"Threaten them?" Korra asked, "Why? They're already down."

"I was trying to warn you earlier, but if you do things like simply protect them, you have to be prepared to protect them day and night. If you stop them just once, the Triads will just come back and demand even higher pay for the reparations. They'll pin the blame on the shopkeeper you defended and persecute him more. I know you mean well, but this is how it works in the long run. The Triads won't give up so easily. And the police rarely bother about doing large scale operations on these Triads." Mako explained. "Now, seeing as you're the Avatar, just give them a little power play."

He moved to wake the one that had been telling his cohorts to shut up. Korra immediately raised an earth spike to the man's neck. The Agni Kai member's eyes widened in fear.

"See my friend here? She's the Avatar. See, we just happened to be in the neighborhood looking for some grub. But she really can't help it if some poor guy's being pushed around. She jumps right into action. Now, we've kindly requested that she take up some restraint seeing as you never really stood a chance against her. But if we so much as hear that you've blamed this shopkeeper for something she's done, she will tear this city up just to find you. You got that?" Mako said threateningly. The man nodded so much that it seemed his head would fall off. They heard sirens in the distance.

"Here you go, sir." Bolin gave the money to the shopkeeper, "Thanks for the meal. And we're really sorry. Korra's… she means well. My brother and I know how it is to be kicked when you're already down. And one day, we'll change the city runs. But to do that, both benders and non-benders should work together. See that girl with the black hair? She's a non-bender but she's part of our team. We couldn't do this without her. We're fighting these Equalists because they hurt other people, not because they're non-benders. A lot needs to be changed, but there are better ways to do it."

Korra's eyes widened at the small speech she overheard Bolin give. The shopkeeper let out a "harrumph" but quietly went back to his stall.

"That was… you're really good with talking Bolin." Asami smiled at their youngest member. Bolin seemed to grow nervous and embarrassed.

"Uh, you heard that?" Bolin squeaked. Mako smirked. Korra opened and closed her mouth, no words coming out.

"Korra?" Asami called out.

"I'm sorry." Korra kicked the ground and sighed, "I didn't think things through. I just keep messing things up, don't I?"

"No, no. It's okay. We all know you meant well." Bolin jumped in. Mako was still tense but finally nodded.

"You'd only get that kind of idea by spending a long time in Republic City's poorest areas." Mako explained, "It wasn't wrong, protecting that guy. But it has consequences."

"I wouldn't have thought about what Bolin said either. But I could imagine that the Triads wouldn't give up…" Asami looked down. "At least we learned something new now. And we can do better next time."

"Thanks guys. You _were_ brilliant with that speech, Bo." Korra grinned at her friend. "Where'd you cook that up?"

"I dunno. I guess I just spoke what I thought." Bolin shrugged. Korra bumped her shoulder into his.

"Let's go celebrate Team Avatar's formation." Korra grinned. "I'm really glad I'm friends with you guys."

* * *

 **A/N:** I wanted Team Avatar to experience more with the Triads and see more non-bender problems, even just a little. It didn't feel like we saw enough of the issues the Equalists were talking about.

Even with Asami feeling slightly suspicious, she still thinks well of Korra and Korra's as always impressed with Asami. And I wanted to highlight how well they work together (Korra and Asami) and Korra feeling even better when they're able to defeat the Equalists. I don't think Asami is fully aware of how bad the situation is with the non-benders, she has been living in a pretty protected environment, while she may have some idea, and experience some sort of prejudice, its not the same as the less privileged. Mako and Bolin would have more experience, especially with knowing how the Triads operate but Mako's not entirely concerned with all of it since he has to protect Bolin.

Next chapter has them sparring!


	7. Trouble

I don't own Legend of Korra or any of its characters.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

 _Beautiful._

Asami's eyes followed Korra's movements as the Avatar kept changing stances. Seemingly true to Korra being a natural waterbender, Korra's movements were fluid yet also decisive.

Asami had gone down to the shore in search of something to do. It had been a few days on the island since the first Equalist patrol of Team Avatar and since then, the group had fallen into a routine of sorts. Mako and Bolin usually helped Pema in the morning with the vegetables, while Asami helped with the dishes after meals and Korra would babysit the airbending kids if she wasn't in meditation or training. In their free time, they spend their time together. And at night, they patrolled the streets.

It was in the mornings that Asami found herself in her head too much. She had been recently observing Mako and Korra's interactions and had this nagging thought that she had barged in on a possible budding romance between the two. In order to occupy her mind, she sometimes drew and sometimes took walks. It was on this morning's walk that she ended up near the beach just in time to see Korra, who was once again practicing her bending.

It really was beautiful. Korra truly was a natural when it came to bending. She had seen pro-benders before, and Mako's and Bolin's bending were amazing as well, but with Korra… it really felt like the elements belonged to her and she belonged to the elements.

Mako had mentioned that Korra picked things up easily enough, at least, when it came to fighting. _Mako…_ She shook her head, trying to erase those thoughts. She didn't have to force it though as she blanked out at Korra's next few actions. Korra had taken off her top and tossed it aside, leaving only the bindings on her chest and Asami's eyes widened slightly. _Her abs…_ It was toned, not overkill but the cuts and curves reminded Asami that Korra had been training hard to be Avatar fit and ready since she was a child. Asami continued to watch as all the muscles on Korra's body grew taut and loose periodically as the Avatar changed her motions frequently. Asami suddenly had the urge to capture the rawness of it all.

She took a seat on the ground, sketchbook in hand and started making rough etchings of what she saw. She was so engrossed in her drawings that she failed to notice that the blue-eyed Avatar had left her original position near the water and was now leaning down in front of Asami.

"Asami?"

Pools, ever changing like the ocean, captivated her.

"...so I was thinking, maybe we could spar?" Korra awkwardly finished.

Asami blinked, realizing that she had missed the first part of what Korra was saying.

"Oh, um…" She bit her lip and looked away, composing herself. _First you get caught drawing her and now you got caught in the blue-ness of her eyes. At least she's wearing her shirt again. Focus, Asami. She said she wants to spar? With you? Well, Bolin and Mako aren't around, so I guess I'm the only who can spar with her right now._

"I know I said I wanted to be friends and all but we haven't exactly been spending time together…"

 _Well, things_ _have_ _been kind of… weird between us when we're alone together. And you have practice. I have… Mako._

"…And well, I saw you up here doing... whatever it was you were doing." She gestured to the sketchbook, "And I'm sorry for breaking your concentration and stuff. You really did look focused and I really didn't want to disturb you but I just couldn't help it when the idea popped in my head. And I'm just repeating what I already said." Korra scratched her neck in embarrassment.

Asami felt her face soften. Korra was really adorable when she was embarrassed. _Wait, you did? When? Must be when I zoned out._

"I won't use my bending. Unless you know some long-distance fighting or… chi-blocking." Korra looked away at the mention of chi-blocking. Asami noticed that Korra had finally stopped talking and realized that it was her turn to speak up.

"I only learned moves for self-defense, not really for attacking in long distance or chi-blocking. But now that I think about it, I guess I should have learned some long-distance fighting. Powerful benders don't really have to fight you up close." Asami looked thoughtful. "But sure, if you want, we can spar."

"Great! I actually wanted to learn some moves from you. I was taught some non-bending moves back in the south but nothing like the way you move. It's really impressive." Korra grinned at her. Asami felt strangely better that Korra hadn't seen Asami as a back-up for Mako and Bolin, but an actual partner.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"You're still fighting like you're a bender." Asami commented as she dodged another of Korra's punches.

"That's because I _am_ a bender." Korra huffed, aiming for a low kick which Asami jumped over but Korra's punch nearly able to get through. Asami had blocked it and tried to shift Korra's force away from her body but Korra's strength was nothing to laugh about. Asami wheezed due to the attack's effect. Korra saw this as her opportunity to move in for the kill but Asami was still able to dodge it enough to return to a defensive stance.

Korra focused once more. Asami was quicker and more agile than her and Asami seemed to use her attacker's momentum. It was quite similar to the chi blocker's quick attacks. Somehow, their quick and evasive styles reminded her of airbending. _Do not think about that right now. Focus. She's going to take you down the second you lose it._

True to her thoughts, Asami had noticed Korra's lack of focus for the moment and used to it land another punch on the Avatar. Korra grunted. It wasn't strong, but it had hit a pressure point.

"Fine, you're fighting as if you're up against another bender. Those Equalists have been training to fight benders like you. Probably for years. If you keep thinking like a bender, you might lose."

"Pssh. Yeah. We'll see about that." Korra growled. She really didn't want to be reminded of her failure to win against the Equalists, at least, on a large scale.

Korra groaned again as Asami had once again pinned her down. That was three now but she had been able to adjust to Asami's movements more quickly this time.

"Another round?" Asami asked. Korra nodded firmly, determination filling her as she once again took the offensive.

Korra threw another powerful punch and Asami sidestepped it easily, then moved in to close the distance. Korra was ready this time and dropped down quickly for a sweeping low kick. Asami was caught off guard but was able to regain her balance quickly. Korra didn't stop there though, she quickly moved and performed a one-two punch then another kick. She relentlessly attacked, trying to unbalance Asami but kept watch for Asami's quick counterattacks as well. She had been observing Asami's movements and could finally see how Asami dodged and attacked. Korra threw a quick uppercut which caught Asami by complete surprise and Korra followed up with a sweeping kick. The other girl finally landed on the ground and Korra couldn't help but grin as she helped Asami up.

"How about another round? I still haven't paid you back in kind." Korra challenged. Asami laughed, and Korra's grin widened.

"Alright. But you're mistaken if you think you'll pay me back in kind." Asami replied.

"Bring it on, Miss Sato."

Korra's recent success with the airbending gates helped her as she evaded Asami's attacks. It wasn't easy, but somehow she found that changing her pace also meant she was more easily able to land those strong punches and kicks she loved. Korra knew Asami had seen the opening and prepared herself for the incoming attack. Asami did indeed take the opportunity to throw an open palmed attack but just as it was about to hit Korra, she moved slightly away from it, catching Asami's arm and used Asami's own momentum to initiate a throw. Not a second later, Korra had Asami pinned to the ground.

Asami breathed heavily. "Mako was right, you really _are_ a quick study."

Korra felt a slight jolt of reality at the reminder that they hadn't talked about Ikki's declaration and slightly loosened her hold on the girl. That was when she noticed Asami's eyes were slightly out of focus. Korra jumped up from the girl.

"Sorry, are you alright?" Korra helped Asami up.

"I'm fine, just a little winded. I can't believe you still have so much energy though."

"I was non-stop training to be Avatar since I was four." Korra shrugged. "Thanks for this. You're really hard to beat you know? I had more trouble than I had with Mako or Bolin! Although that didn't really surprise me." She sheepishly smiled.

"Korra!"

Both girls turned to find Mako taking long strides toward them.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami watched as Mako excitedly told Korra about a firebending scroll he had found in the airbender's library. Apparently, Jinora had allowed them to borrow it, saying that she had not known that Firelord Zuko had left it behind when he had last visited the island. And now Mako was animatedly telling Korra about his idea to use the form but with a twist that adopted their quicker fighting styles. Korra nodded and then pointed out things that they could incorporate as well.

Her eyes narrowed at them as Mako suggested that the two of them try it out. That was when she noticed Korra look at her, as if asking for permission. Asami's brow furrowed in confusion or a split second. _She's asking permission?_ Asami shrugged and smiled.

"It's alright. I needed to rest anyway." Asami said.

"Oh. Then how about you watch us?" Korra suggested. _Even if she didn't suggest that, I would've._

Asami's eyes followed their movements. Wondering if Mako's touch on Korra's shoulder seemed to last longer than usual, or if Korra seemed too worried when she had accidentally hit Mako and fussed over him too much. It had brought about an irritated "I'm alright Korra. Just focus more when you attack." from him and Asami couldn't help but feel pleased that Korra had huffed angrily in response to this and nearly started a shouting match.

 _Stop being so jealous. He's already with you._

 _But what if he's just lying to you? What if he betrays you too? What if he's truly liked Korra all along and you were just… a distraction? Something easy? Someone who had what he wanted? Money, stability, validity. What if he's finally realizing that you're anything but stable? You've tried to play the perfect girlfriend, but what if he realizes you are far from perfect? What if he's just stringing you along?_

She realized Mako was looking at her, concern etched his face. She waved and smiled at him, assuring him that she was fine. His gaze lasted a second longer before he turned back to Korra. That was when she realized Korra was looking at her too. Korra cocked her head as if asking a question before shaking her head then put on a lopsided grin. Asami giggled before nodding toward Mako who seemed to be calling Korra's attention to the scroll.

 _She can be a dork sometimes, and it's adorable. I wonder if Mako… No, Asami. They're friends. They're your friend and boyfriend. Mako does show he cares, he can't be just simply stringing you along._

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Uh, Korra? Aren't we a little underdressed?" Mako asked when they entered the elegant-looking restaurant.

"Well, we'd be at a slight disadvantage if we wore dress clothes to a fight." Korra shrugged. She looked over to her right where Bolin was looking at the menu, trying to find a dish that interested him.

"And look at these prices… we can't afford this." Mako muttered. Korra immediately noticed Bolin's eyes widen when he glanced to the right of the menu.

"Korra, we can't afford this!" Bolin panicked. "I really don't think washing dishes was in our plans for tonight. I mean—."

Suddenly, a pair of waiters brought in a bunch of dishes. They immediately placed them on the table before bowing to them.

"If you need anything, Avatar Korra, please do not hesitate to ask." The taller waiter said.

"Are you crazy? We're supposed to patrol the streets tonight! We can't be washing dishes!" Bolin threw his hands up when the waiter left. Korra laughed.

"Don't worry. It's all taken-cared of."

"Huh? I didn't know you were loaded." Bolin gushed.

"The owner's family is of White Lotus descent." Korra shrugged, "When I told Tenzin we might need a change in diet for a bit, he suggested to come here since they are one of the few restaurants that I don't actually have to pay anything. And they have specialties from all nations."

"You are awesome! Let's eat!" Bolin dug in. Korra grinned and dove right in with him. Korra felt eyes on her and raised her head, mouth full of food.

"What?" Korra asked Asami who seemed surprised. Mako groaned at this. Korra suddenly felt embarrassed that Mako had seen her like that.

"No wonder you and Bolin seem to get along well." Asami shook her head with an amused smile.

"Hey, there's a reason my body is like this, you know."

"So you've never had to pay for anything your whole life?" Bolin asked, his own mouth full.

"Not really." Korra admitted, "I don't really need a lot of things though. Just training, lodging and food."

"Wow, I never knew being the Avatar had all these perks." Bolin said, "In fact, I don't know much about you. Or Asami. I mean, you have a polar bear dog as a partner, you're the Avatar, you hate mornings, and you're an awesome bender. We have the same humor and like having fun. And… that's pretty much it. I know Asami's house is awesome, and that you drive like crazy, and you seriously can kick ass… but, that's it mostly."

"You're right, because of all this Equalist mess, we've barely had time to get to know each other outside of what we've already shown." Asami nodded thoughtfully.

"So what? We don't need our backstories in order to be friends." Mako shrugged.

"But… isn't being a team meaning we get to know each other too?" Bolin pouted. "I mean, what if we save the day and then get interviewed and when the press asks you "So Asami is your girlfriend, do you know how many relationships she's had before you?" and you can't answer!"

"Agh. I'm not going to be interviewed by the press!" Mako irately replied.

"Sweetie, it's alright." Asami said, "It's two by the way. I've had two."

"See? We should totally do something like 20 questions!" Bolin eagerly said. "It's easier than just interviewing each other."

"20 questions?" Korra asked.

"Yeah! You don't know it? You take turns asking questions and you have to answer the question truthfully. You can pass, but only once. Come on, let's do this!"

"Um, I guess I'm okay with that…" Korra shrugged. Asami agreed as well which led to Mako reluctantly participating.

"Alright, we can just do stuff about our pasts. Everything up to the point before we met each other is fair game." Bolin rubbed his hands together.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Korra marched determinedly toward Tarrlok. Asami almost smirked at Korra's brashness, knowing full well she didn't want to be on Tarrlok's end. Korra was the very opposite of sophisticated grace, but she was obstinate, and faced things head-on. _Something I truly admire in her. She truly doesn't back down when she knows something is wrong._

"We're not going anywhere. You don't have the right to treat these innocent people as criminals!" Korra bravely faced the Councilman. Korra would not back down, what Tarrlok was doing was adding fuel to the flames. And Korra knew that this was wrong.

"This is an Equalist rally, there is nothing innocent about it!" Tarrlok replied. This guy really annoyed Asami. He was the one in the wrong. He had always been a power-hungry politician ever since the very beginning and he failed to see the plight from the other side.

"They're not Equalists! They're just normal people who want their rights back!" Asami insisted.

"They are the enemy!" Tarrlok gritted his teeth. "Round up all these Equalists!"

Asami clenched her fist then released it. This would get them nowhere. If there was one thing she knew about politics, she knew they had to do it in such a way that there was no other choice for the politician but to agree. But Korra rushed ahead and before Asami could call the Avatar back to calm her down, Korra was already in an Earthbending stance.

"Stop!" Korra easily countered the Earthbender police force and brought the people back down to the ground. Watching Korra bend still amazed Asami. Suddenly, Asami felt water circle her wrist and she turned to find Tarrlok had restrained her.

"Hey, let me go!" She fought.

"You're under arrest!" Tarrlok said and pulled Asami towards him.

"What? You can't do that!" Mako said.

"Actually, I can. She's a non-bender out past curfew and her father is a known Equalist conspirator." Tarrlok said.

At the mention of her father, Asami slumped back down a little. _I tried to forget that…_

"Let her go." Mako said angrily.

"Arrest him, and his brother." Tarrlok said. Restraints were quickly used for the brothers.

"Tarrlok!" Korra growled. Asami saw the complete look of anger on her face as she raised pieces of the earth.

"Unless you want to join your friends in prison, I suggest you put those down and go back to the Air Temple." Tarrlok threatened.

"Korra, listen to him, it's not worth it." Mako advised her. Asami looked up and emerald greens met with ocean blue. Korra's eyes had relatively darkened in anger and Asami knew Korra was one step away from hurting the Councilman.

Asami shook her head, _don't._

Asami watched as Korra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let go of the rocks, a look of pain crossed her face.

 _A look of loss._

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

It had the second day, and Korra still hadn't appeared. Tarrlok seemed like some of her father's trickier partners. Those that had a whole plan laid out before them and used every piece to their advantage. Asami was worried about what Tarrlok would demand in order to free the three of them.

When she heard the metal door open, she thought it was finally Korra. But instead, Chief Beifong appeared. She was still grateful. Tarrlok hadn't messed with her, but what if something had happened to Mako or Bolin? Without spending time to explain, the two of them headed to the boys' cell.

Relief flooded into her when she saw Mako in one piece. She moved forward and their lips met in that familiar dance. Chief Beifong cleared her throat.

"Hate to break up your lovers' reunion, but Korra's in trouble. Amon captured her."

Asami eyes widened and her mouth formed a large O. _If Korra's been captured by Amon… her bending!_

"No, no she can't be gone." Mako voiced all of their thoughts.

 _What happened with you, Korra?_

"And you three, you should be in prison!" Tenzin admonished. He was never one to go against the law, completely, that is.

"I figured you could use our help finding Korra." Lin Bei Fong deadpanned.

"Do you have any leads?" Mako immediately shot up. Asami looked at him in surprise, noticing how eager he seemed to want to find Korra.

 _No, he's just worried about her, just like Bolin and I._

The underground tunnel diverged into three different paths. There was no indication of which path would be right to take. Asami didn't like this.

"Let's try this way." Mako moved for the center tunnel. Asami's eyes furrowed in annoyance. He was just going to pick random tunnels without trying to figure out the right one?

"And what if Korra's not there?" Asami asked, _and we'd have wasted time and possibly alerted the Equalists to our presence. Why are you doing this so recklessly?_

"Then we pick another tunnel until we find her!" Mako quickly replied with gusto. Asami was taken aback at the fierceness of his voice. How he sounded so desperate to find her. And once more, she thought, _what if they did have something going on? And maybe Mako's just going out with me because I'm… what? The pretty little heiress girl who lost her father to hatred and vengeance. Rich and spoiled and so used to high society. The girl who gave him an opportunity._

Asami shook her head, _no, Korra said she wasn't just that. And I know that as well. But what if, that's how Mako sees me? The kind of girl you'd date? And not because he… stop, Asami. We have to look for Korra._

But she couldn't forget her suspicious intuition about Mako's true feelings.

 _If he just sees me like that… I'm not going to be playing a part for him. Just like… no. Don't go there._

"Hey, is Mako alright?" Asami asked Bolin, wanting to ease her own suspicions. "He seems really worried about Korra."

"Yeah, we all are." Bolin stated. Asami bowed her head at this. _Maybe she was just letting her jealousy get to her. I mean, Korra's amazing, it's a wonder Mako hadn't asked Korra out. Well, Asami had made it easier for him. But if he really didn't want to be with her, he'd tell her, right?_

"I know." Asami guiltily replied. She still couldn't shake her feelings off. "But… he's your brother. Do you think he likes Korra as more than just a friend?"

Bolin laughed awkward, "What? No! That's just gossip. Where'd you hear that? Crazy talk is coming out of your mouth right now."

 _He knows something._ Asami realized, Bolin's shoulders had tensed in a different way when he answered, and the look on his face easily gave him away. "What do you know, Bolin? Come on, spill it."

"Nothing! I mean…" He glanced at her and she didn't let up her stern gaze so he continued. "There was this one time during the tournament where Mako and Korra kissed. But…"

Asami was completely surprised. _During the tournament? Then she and Mako were already going out by then!_ She swallowed, "Th—they kissed?"

She could feel a pain in her chest. It wasn't just that Korra and Mako had kissed, it was the fact that Mako had hidden that fact from her. How could she trust him now?

"Believe me, I was upset too. But I'm over it. I don't think it meant anything."

"I doubt that." Asami replied bitterly. Suddenly she heard the echoes of a motorcycle coming up and moved to hide. She easily moved those thoughts to the back of her mind. Those issues would have to wait for now. Korra needed their help.

* * *

 **A/N:** Yep, full-on trouble in paradise.

Asami appreciates things of form, and boy does Korra have form. She might not be looking at Korra in the same way Mako is, at least, not consciously yet but there is alot of admiration and appreciation of Korra (and vice-versa). Which is also probably why she'll come to understand Mako falling in love with Korra but it still hurts, and she still wishes he'd be honest about his feelings (honesty is a sore point for Asami, I think, which is a trait that Korra seems to have abundance of).

Asami's insecurities and trust issues pop up (who can blame her, her own father had been lying to her for a long time and had been pretending with her, his only daughter and family left) and Mako's has problems dealing with his own emotions. Then goes ape because of probably all the pent-up feelings he had for Korra.

Korra/Asami bonding time that was interrupted by the love triangle. And a little bit of team Avatar bonding time! Kinda makes me miss Aang's Team Avatar moments. But hey, different times.

I kinda wished Korra had gone all ape on Tarrlok. Too bad she doesn't have the Avatar State yet. That would've been epic. Just a display of how powerful the Avatar really is and embarrass Tarrlok in front of everybody would be awesome. Because he's seriously doing an injustice and I would have been pleased if he had been put in his place.

I believe Korra would have been paying attention to Asami when Tarrlok arrested them because Asami was the most affected, she had not only been arrested as a non-bender but she had been reminded of her father. Although she might not have done it consciously or anything, just something at the back of her head saying that she heard Tarrlok threaten Asami about her ties to Hiroshi.

 _(EDIT)_ A note on their fighting styles: I rewatched Asami and Korra's fighting scenes and I tried to capture what they usually do in a regular fight. I haven't done martial arts in a long, long, really long while and I've never done it competitively so I'm not exactly good at fight scenes. But watching them, Korra seems to use moves that unbalance the opponent then relentlessly striking until they're completely down. While with Asami, I think she waits for the perfect moment to strike, using her opponents' momentum against them. She calculates her moves and quickly tries to incapacitate her opponent in the least moves possible. Sometimes, I feel like its similar to playing Pai Sho. So I _tried_ to show that.

Another note on Asami's love life: I think Asami at least had some experience prior to Mako. Nothing like what she felt for Mako/Korra. And it might even have just been a few dates or something. I haven't really thought about it much but I guess I just wanted her to have some idea about what she doesn't like in a relationship.


	8. Midnight

**_A/N:_** When I was rereading my fanfic, I came up with this. And I thought it would be a good stepping stone to Korra and Asami's discussion in the next chapter (originally chapter 8, it now has the chapter title "Before the Battle") and why Korra kind of clues in on Asami's feelings. This is an Asami-centric chapter. 

_You were the one, you were the one who picked me. What have we become? Now have we begun our ending?_

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

The sun was barely peeking out when Asami tumbled into bed. She closed her eyes, willing herself to get some much needed rest. Staying in a prison cell hadn't allowed her to get any sleep, she had been much too worried about her friends. Then they had searched for Korra non-stop since getting out of jail.

She waited for the exhaustion to settle in so she could finally fall asleep.

…Apparently, her mind had other ideas. Asami shifted, trying to find a way to shut her brain off. Sleep had never come easy to her in the first place, her mind had long since decided that right before bed was the best time to come up with ideas and think of Spirits-knows-what.

Asami shifted again.

Tarrlok was a bloodbender. She had never thought she'd ever encounter one. It had long been considered illegal, and she had never even heard of one existing in recent years. She knew that there was once a time where a group had been discovered using it to rob people, and then other waterbenders started using it to which was why it was outlawed in the first place but it was never heard of since. And Tenzin had mentioned that bloodbending had been known to require a full moon. If it could be done even in broad daylight…

She shivered, recalling the feeling of the loss of control in her body, the way the blood in her veins seemed to unnaturally move and the way her body complained about the intrusion… And Korra had fought against him, maybe even been subjected to more bloodbending.

Asami lay on her back, looking at the ceiling. _At least she's safe now._

Her thoughts stilled for a moment. The women's dormitory was eerily quiet. The Air Acolytes were usually up and about this time of day. Korra's room was empty now, having been moved to a larger and more airy room. Mako had ushered them all away the moment he laid her on the bed. _It's not like he's the only one worried about Korra,_ a frown formed. She sighed. _I need to get some rest._

Five minutes later, she knew she wasn't going to be able to get any rest with the way her mind was running. _I wonder how Korra's holding up. She looked a lot worse than I feel. I guess it wouldn't hurt to check up on her._

Bright light pierced her eyes as soon as she got out. Not hearing Korra's boisterous laughter along with Bolin's on the island was strangely disconcerting for Asami. Her steps grew quicker to move towards the main area. Maybe Pema would have breakfast ready and she could bring it over to Korra. It would be a good way to repay her for the tea the other night. But first, she'd check if the girl was awake.

She stopped in her tracks when she saw that familiar head of spiky hair.

In the same beat as he grasped Korra's hand tightly, Asami could feel a constriction in her chest.

 _They kissed. And Mako never told me. What else is he not telling me?_

She could feel the tears prickling her eyes. She blinked, willing them away and moved away from the door. She needed something to distract her.

She didn't know where her Satomobile was, so that was out of the question. _Sketching? I guess that'll do._ She started to head for the women's dorm again.

"Asami?"

"Hey, Bolin." She greeted him, overcoming the initial surprise. She hoped he hadn't noticed where she had come from. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Yeah, I guess I couldn't sleep." He said sheepishly. He glanced behind Asami. "Did you check up on Korra? Is she finally awake? I was going to go check up on her myself."

"Actually, no." Asami swallowed, remembering how Mako had so tenderly held Korra's hand. "I wasn't… I was just planning to get some breakfast. I couldn't sleep either."

"Are you okay? You don't look so well." He looked at her in concern.

Asami smiled, or at least tried to, "I'm fine."

"Really?" Bolin didn't look convinced. She must be losing it if she couldn't even convince Bolin.

"It's just… the past few days have been tiring."

"Oh. Yeah. I mean between getting thrown in prison and searching for Korra, we haven't really had time to rest. We're jumping from one exciting thing to another." Bolin nodded, "I guess that's what being Team Avatar means."

Asami nodded.

"Can you believe we were blasted out of prison by Chief Beifong though? But then we found out that Tarrlok was a bloodbender. Man, talk about skeletons in _his_ closest. It really felt awful, just that weird…" Bolin made a strange expression. "But hey, I got to see Chief Beifong in action! Seriously, metalbending is awesome! And she learned from the best! I mean, she must've right? Man, Toph is the best earthbender ever!"

A chuckle came from behind them, "I think Toph is my favorite too. Or maybe Katara."

"Korra! You're up!" Bolin crushed Korra in his arms.

"Can't… breathe…"

"I don't think you should—." Asami immediately reached out to Bolin to get him to let go of the girl.

"Bo! You're suffocating her!" Mako grabbed Bolin, cutting Asami off.

"Oh, right, sorry." Bolin apologized sheepishly, "Are you okay? What happened to you? We were looking all over for you. Oh, we found the metalbenders!"

Korra held her chest as she waved Bolin with her other hand. "It's okay. Just a little bruised there."

"You want me to get Pema?" Asami asked. She wasn't sure if there were any healers on the island.

"No, I'm okay. Pema needs rest."

Asami didn't want to argue with Korra but Korra's paler appearance was not a good sign.

"So do you. You're not supposed to be out of bed yet." Mako said sternly.

"I can't just sit around. Amon got Tarrlok—." Korra groaned as she massaged her temple.

"I think you should focus on getting better." Asami said, "We're all tired anyway, we won't be able to do anything proper right now."

"Korra! What are you doing out of bed?"

The four of them turned to find Pema with her hands on her hips.

"It's Tarrlok…"

"I know how important this is, but you need to rest. If you want to deal with them, you shouldn't exhaust yourself so much. You can talk about it later. You look too pale."

Mako shot Korra a knowing look. Korra frowned at this but Asami noticed that the girl was opening and closing her eyes, as if trying to keep herself awake.

"Let's get you back to bed young lady. Once you've built up your strength again, you can talk to Tenzin and Lin after." Pema said. "I'll have the island doctor check-up on you."

"Okay." Korra mumbled. Mako followed in after Pema, that ever-present worried look on his face.

"Do you think Korra's okay? She didn't look so well." Bolin said worriedly.

"She probably just needs rest." Asami said.

Bolin nodded in agreement. "She'll be back up in no time, and then we'll show them what it means to mess with Team Avatar!"

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami hugged the pillow tighter, shutting her eyes as if trying to shut out the thoughts, and the voices in her head. Instead, images of Mako looking worriedly at Korra as he clasped her hands tightly filled her mind.

 _What is Mako really feeling? Does he want to be with Korra? He's being so protective of Korra, and so caring._

She hated how jealous she was feeling. Mako was with her, not Korra. He was just worried about Korra.

" _Then we pick another tunnel until we find her!"_

His desperation to find Korra. And all Asami felt was Mako getting farther and farther away from her.

" _I mean, there was this one time during the tournament when Mako and Korra kissed, but—"_

 _Why didn't he tell me about the kiss? What if he's been lying to me all this time? What if… he really loves Korra? What if he's just settling with me? What if…_

Tears dropped onto the pillow in her arms.

It was stupid, she knew that, but she felt a great need to confirm his feelings. It was selfish, knowing that Amon was out there, and it added to her own frustration with herself. But she needed something, anything. Anything to let her know that he cared for her, that she was his priority, that she was the one he was looking at. Anything to ease her heart and mind.

It wouldn't be the first time that someone she cared about lied to her, pretended with her, that someone she cared about betrayed her. It wasn't the first time. But that didn't ease any of the pain that she felt.

Did they think it was okay to lie to her? That they could pretend with her? Did they really not care about her? Was she really nothing to them? Why did people keep lying to her? Why did they keep hiding the truth from her?

She tired herself out with her frustration, frustration with herself, her father and Mako. She tired herself out with the pain and the fear and anger. Tired herself out until finally, still lost in the endless spiral of her thoughts, exhaustion settled in and she fell into a restless slumber.

" _See what benders are capable of? Why do they get gifts we can never get? What did they do to deserve that power? They oppress and hurt and maime. They took your mother from me! Why should they be allowed to wield such power over us? Power corrupts, and they are all corrupted. They need to be Equalized!"_

Asami woke up in cold sweat, the echoes of her father's voice continued to bounce around in her head. She lay down again. Tarrlok bloodbending them, the unnatural feeling in her limbs, the control he exerted over all of them… it made her skin crawl. Asami shook her head of the thoughts.

She could still feel the weariness in her body, but she couldn't quite fall back to sleep. It had been a few hours since the last time she'd opened her eyes, given that the sun had still been up earlier and now, it was quite dark outside.

She moved silently in (what she hoped) was the direction of the kitchen. With only the light from the moon to guide her, the hallways all seemed to look the same. Pema had all offered that they could make use of the kitchen whenever they wanted to as long as they cleaned up after themselves, and Asami needed some tea. She was hoping that would be enough to lull her back to sleep.

She heard noises coming from up ahead. _Someone else is awake?_ She stopped in her footsteps when she noticed the shadows flickering, like being created from a flame. _Was it Mako?_ She wasn't really sure if she was ready to face him.

"Ah-ha!"

That voice was definitely not Mako's.

"Korra?"

Asami winced at the sound of Korra's head colliding with the open cabinet door, the flame disappearing. Korra cursed at the pain and Asami quickly moved toward her.

"I am _so_ sorry. Are you okay? I'll get some ice." Asami quickly perused the area where Korra had been hit, and seeing no cut she stood up to get some ice.

"I'm fine. You just surprised me." Korra reassured Asami.

"I really am sorry. I didn't think…"

"Asami, I'm okay." Korra grinned, "Fixing this is a cinch. I just need some water."

Asami immediately got a bowl instead and opened the faucet. She offered the bowl to Korra. Korra smiled at Asami again before whisking the water to the affected area. The water glowed for a bit.

"It was my fault anyway." Korra continued, "I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. If it was an Equalist…"

Korra's face darkened at this. "I should be more alert."

"Hey, the White Lotus are here. If anyone got to the island, we'd know immediately. I move more silently than they do anyway, I didn't want to disturb anyone."

"Yeah, I'm glad I didn't wake anybody up. Pema needs the rest."

"I'd have thought you'd sleep well into tomorrow."

Korra hadn't woken up since this morning, not even for meals.

"I got hungry." Korra said sheepishly, "I guess my body just needed the extra rest. And now it's screaming for food. What about you? Couldn't sleep either?"

"Something like that." Asami murmured, parts of the dream returning to the forefront of her mind, "I was planning on having some tea. It usually helps calm me down."

"Oh, I made some. Are you okay with jasmine? I made a lot. I wasn't so sure I'd be able to fall back to sleep so soon."

Asami nodded, "Thank you."

Korra waterbent the tea into another tea cup. Asami took a sip. She murmured in delight as the warmth spread through her whole body. "It's delicious."

Korra seemed to brighten at this, "Good."

The kitchen grew as silent as the rest of the island. Only the sounds of sipping tea and Korra's munching broke it. Asami wondered if she should ask Korra about the kiss with Mako.

 _For what? It's not like she should be the one telling me. Mako's the one I'm in a relationship with. He's the one that has to come clean with me._

She glanced at Korra, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Asami frowned at herself.

"Are you—."

"So why are you—."

"You first." They said at the same time. Korra grinned widely, her eyes twinkling with delight. And for a few moments, all Asami could think about was the genuineness Korra seemed to exude, the way her eyes just screamed each and every emotion she felt, the way her smile always brightened up a room. Asami tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she gathered her thoughts.

"Fine. I'll go first. Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Oh. Well, I did fall asleep. I woke up because…" Asami hesitated, not sure how she'd explain it. "Just some dreams. What about you? Why do you think you won't be able to sleep?"

Blue eyes pierced through the moonlit kitchen, eyebrows furrowing. Asami evaded them by taking another sip of her drink. She wasn't so sure if talking about her dreams would make Korra or her feel any better. It had been about quite a sensitive subject.

"I feel like I have all this pent up energy now, with all the resting I've done."

Asami wondered if it was because Korra felt like she had to do something, given with how she had been taken by Tarrlok. Korra's eyebrows were still furrowed.

"The dream… was it about your dad?" Korra finally asked. Asami felt her a lump in her throat when Korra brought it up. Korra seemed to panic at whatever expression Asami was making. "I'm sorry! Youdonthavetotellmeifyoudontwantto. OhdidyouknowthatTarrloklosthisbending?"

Korra smacked herself at her statement as Asami looked at her in alarm.

"What?"

"Um," Korra reached for the back of her neck, "Before I escaped, Amon was there. He took Tarrlok's bending away. He nearly got me too, but I was able to get away because of Naga."

Asami frowned, realizing how close Korra had once again fallen into Amon's clutches. But that was the Avatar's duty after all, to fight against injustice and imbalance. She just wondered if Korra was overdoing it a bit. Korra seemed to misunderstand why Asami was frowning.

"I'm really sorry. I just—how about this? Let's go for a quick run around the island."

"A… run?"

"Yeah, I need the exercise."

"Are you sure you're supposed to be tiring your body out?" Asami asked, "We don't want you pushing yourself too hard."

"I'm fine. It's not like I'm going to do any intensive training, just something to get myself to sleep. There's like… probably four hours before I have to get up. Anyway, I'm going with or without you. I just thought you might want to increase your endurance seeing as I beat you last time because I had more energy than you."

Asami raised her eyebrow, "I thought it was because you were better than me?"

"Well, aside from that." Korra grinned, "It'll be good for you. Come on."

Asami agreed, if only to make sure Korra made it back in one piece.

She breathed heavily, finally having caught up with Korra. Korra was breathing just as heavily, but she still had a victorious smile on her face.

"Alright. You win. I do need more endurance training." Asami admitted. "You don't look too good yourself though."

"Yeah, just… guess I'm not completely back on my feet." Korra confessed, "I think I kind of overdid it a bit."

She fell onto Naga who had curled up on the beach, having joined them for their run. Korra patted to the space beside her, and Asami took the offered position.

The moon made the water seem to glow, and the waves rhythmically crashing upon the shore was oddly soothing to Asami. Out here on Air Temple Island, everything seemed undisturbed, untainted, and breathtakingly beautiful from where she was sitting. It was a beautiful night out, and she was glad Korra had asked her to come along. She looked over at Korra, about to thank her, but she found that the girl had zonked out.

Asami thought about waking Korra up to go back to her room, but with how peaceful Korra seemed, she didn't have the heart to disturb the girl. She turned back to the water, her thoughts moving back to her dream.

 _Power corrupts._ And yet here she sat with the most powerful being in the world and yet Korra was still that earnest girl who genuinely wanted good in the world and she didn't compromise on what she wholeheartedly believed was right.

She could feel Korra stir to her side and looked over. Korra's face was peaceful no longer, instead she found creases on the girl's forehead, and beads of sweat forming. A whimper broke out and Korra curled into a ball, Naga whined behind them. Asami bit her lip in contemplation, should she wake Korra up or not?

Turns out she didn't have to make a decision, as at that moment, Korra rose up from Naga, breathing heavily, eyes wide. Asami fell back in surprise.

"You, um, were you having a bad dream?"

Korra nodded tersely.

"Why don't we head back inside? I'm sure the others will wake up soon. You still look tired. Maybe lying down on a bed will be better."

Korra nodded and stood up, her hand finding Naga's fur and grasping onto it. The first few moments were filled with silence. Asami wasn't so sure about what to say, she had a feeling Korra didn't want to bring it up. But knowing that she wasn't the only one made Asami feel that Korra would actually be okay if Asami told her about her dream.

"I did dream about my Dad." Asami quietly admitted after a while. "And Tarrlok. I was… it was about being bloodbent. And then Dad was going on and on about benders and their power. I mean, I'm not afraid of you or anything. It's just…"

"Bloodbending is scary." Korra said just as quietly. "Why did you dream about…?"

"I was there when we discovered Tarrlok's bloodbending. It was…"

"Yeah." Korra said quietly. "Thanks for telling me."

"I wish my dad never did what he did. He's hurting so many people…" Asami whispered. She felt Korra's hand weakly grasp her own and she looked at Korra in surprise.

"I'll make sure they won't do any more harm."

"We'll make sure." Asami corrected her. Korra smiled at her.

"Korra! There you are! When you weren't in your room…" Mako rushed over, taking Korra from Asami's side. "What are you even doing out here? You're supposed to be resting! And why did you let her go out?" He looked at Asami. Korra cut him off before Asami could say anything.

"Hey! Don't say that to Asami. It was my idea, she was just trying to help me. I'm fine okay? I got hungry so I went out. We were just talking out here."

Mako's brows furrowed, "You shouldn't tire yourself out. You just got back—"

"I'm going back to bed." Asami announced. Korra turned to Asami. "I'm sure Mako will only find my presence a hindrance. Good night, Korra."

"Thanks for tonight. We should raid the kitchen again soon."

Asami nodded, glancing briefly at Mako before walking quickly away, wanting to be as far away from the pair as soon as possible. Before she turned the corner, she took one last glance at them. Mako was concernedly holding Korra, all his attention on her.

 _He didn't even ask why I was up._

* * *

 _ **A/N:** _ This chapter was originally supposed to be just about Asami's feelings on Mako, but when I started writing it, I ended up with Korra and Asami talking about other things, before Asami is abruptly reminded about Mako.

Oh yeah, here are songs that made me think about Mako and Asami's kind of limbo moment in Book 1:

Winter - Kina Grannis  
Strong Enough - Kina Grannis

If you haven't heard of her, check her out :)


	9. Before the Battle

_**(Korra)**_

"You're the most loyal, brave, and selfless person I've ever known." Mako said earnestly.

"I think you're pretty incredible too." Korra softened, feeling warm inside. "But... you already knew that."

She sent a shy sideward glance at him and his face just spoke volumes. There was a fond smile on his lips as he leaned towards her. She turned to face him, a gentle smile on her face as well. Never in her life did she imagine that he would return her feelings, that Asami— _wait, Asami_. This was wrong. And just as Mako leaned further forward, Korra turned away.

"I should probably try to get some sleep." Korra said. She waited a bit before Mako finally stood up.

"Me too. Good night."

She watched him walk away, a sad look on her face. She leaned further into Naga. While she couldn't lie and say she wasn't happy Mako probably returned her feelings, she couldn't hurt Asami any further. Not when Asami had been so nice to her even when Korra hadn't. Not when Asami had forgiven Korra for judging her. Not when she was right here, fighting against those Equalists even when she could've joined her father.

They were friends now. And friends didn't just steal kisses from each other's boyfriends. No matter how much Korra wanted to be with Mako.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami watched silently in anger as Mako sat beside Korra. She felt betrayed when she saw the fond look on his face, a look aimed at Korra. It was even more painful to watch as Mako leaned forward, as if to kiss Korra, and for a moment, it looked like Korra was about to do the same. But instead of getting caught in the moment, Korra turned away, a guilty look on her face.

 _She could have stolen Mako right then and there, but she didn't. Why?_

Mako had a hurt expression on his face… _not as hurt as I feel._ Korra's face showed one of sadness and uncertainty.

 _You know why._

Green met blue and Asami blinked in surprise at the sorrow evident in Korra's eyes. Korra didn't look away, but she did look unsure. Asami knew then that in that moment, Korra had been thinking of her.

 _Korra cares about you too. She may have been willing to kiss a guy dating some girl she barely knows, but you're teammates now, friends even. And you can tell she doesn't want to hurt you. But you know you're the one thing that stands between her and her happiness with Mako. Korra's been dealing with so much as the Avatar. Don't you think she deserves a little bit of happiness as well? And you know that Mako's feelings aren't really with you anymore. What's it going to be?_

 _I just wish he'd be honest with me. Watching him… it hurts so much. Don't I at least deserve the truth? Can't he be upfront?_

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra tried to relax herself. She needed to get a good night's rest. It wouldn't do if she faced the Equalist's leader and fell asleep in the middle of battle. An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach as she remembered how close Amon had been to taking her bending. The feeling worsened when she thought about not having her airbending yet, or her Avatar state. And she had so easily been defeated nearly every time: Tarrlok, Amon, even Hiroshi.

Korra sat up, knowing she couldn't get to sleep now. She looked around. Mako and the General were seated together by the fire. Seemingly both lost in their own thoughts. Her thoughts wandered, she and Mako were going to go after Amon together. It brought her great comfort that he had insisted on coming with her.

As if feeling her eyes on him, Mako looked up. Amber eyes met with blue, his gaze softening as he smiled at her. She smiled back. _Asami's really lucky to have him… Asami. Spirits._ The day she was going to face her father and Korra had taken Mako away from her. Guiltily, she looked away from him. There really was no way she could fall asleep now.

"Stay here, girl." Korra instructed Naga quietly. She stood up and stretched. That was when a flicker of lights from the tent they were using for the plans caught her attention.

She quietly raised the flaps of the tent, the light flickering once more. Korra stood by the entrance as she watched the scene before her. Pale fingers traced the map, raven-hair fell down the side of her face as the older teen stood hunched over the map. She noticed the stiffness of Asami's shoulders. For a moment, Korra debated if she had any right to disturb Asami. They weren't exactly close friends, although their relationship had improved since Asami had been on the island, Korra wasn't so sure if it was in close enough territory for her to talk to Asami about Hiroshi. Her gut was telling her to stay, though.

"Having trouble sleeping?" Korra asked softly. Black hair flowed as she watched Asami look up in surprise. Korra noticed Asami slightly relax when she registered that it was Korra, but her shoulders didn't lose their stiffness.

"Oh, hey, Korra. I was just… going over the plan." Asami gestured to the map. Korra slightly frowned. Asami had become her friend, and it was nice to have a girl her age to talk to, but it was still an uneasy friendship. They had their moments, moments when Korra thought that maybe they could be closer, moments when Korra felt they'd connect, but life seemed to always interrupt.

Korra was eyeing the area which Asami had been staring at and Asami looked at it as well.

"My father will most probably be there tomorrow." Asami admitted quietly, after a long stretch of silence. "…I'm sure of it. He always liked being around the things he created."

"Just like how you spend a lot of time with that Satomobile of yours. …I just want you to know, we'll be here for you. I'll be here for you, no matter what happens. And… I'm sorry. That Mako is coming with me. I can tell him to go with you tomorrow. He should be there—."

"You can't go there alone. And Mako has the better firepower. He'll be good in a fight." Asami shook her head.

"Are you going to be alright tomorrow?" Korra said, after a few moments. She might not know how it felt to face your own father, but she could understand at least that it wasn't something so easily done.

Asami looked down again, understanding immediately what Korra meant. "You don't have to think about that. What he's doing is hurting so many other people. From what I knew of my mother, she would not have wanted him to do this. She was always kind and smart and brave. How can he even think that this is for Mom? He's been so twisted by his hatred. I have to stop him Korra. I cannot let this be our legacy."

"She sounds a lot like you. I'm sure she'd be proud of you right now. You're amazing."

Asami smiled gratefully. Korra had said it before, but the way she said it each time was so different and heartfelt. "So are you. What about you, are you going to be okay tomorrow?"

Korra wanted to scoff and assure Asami that she was the Avatar. To pretend that everything was fine. But she knew that it wasn't what Asami needed to hear. Korra breathed deeply. Somehow, she felt that Asami wouldn't feel let down if Korra told her the truth.

"I'm not sure." Korra finally admitted, "I… I haven't even learned airbending yet. And he's been able to beat me, and nearly captured me. I want to believe I am ready. But I'm scared. I'm scared of losing my bending, of not being the Avatar everyone expects me to be. I'm scared of not being able to protect everyone. That the Equalists will continue to hurt innocent people and I'd become powerless to stop it. I wish I didn't have to face him yet. But… I have to do this." Her hands fisted as determination filled her. "I have to stop him. I don't want him to hurt anyone else."

Asami nodded in understanding, her shoulders now completely relaxed. "Let's stop them from hurting more people."

"Yeah. …Come on. I don't think anyone's going to get any sleep tonight." Korra said. "Well, except for Bolin, that is."

When the two of them came out however, both Asami and Korra were surprised that Bolin was actually awake. The two of them joined the three guys near the fire.

"It'll still be a few more hours. You should get some rest." Iroh suggested to the younger generation. Korra looked at the others.

"I think we're better off here." Korra said. Iroh nodded and walked away a bit, giving them some space.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! I know how we can pass the time! Stories!" Bolin said. "I always thought campfire stories were awesome."

"Um, okay. What about?" Asami asked.

"How about… a favorite childhood memory!" Bolin grinned. Everyone seemed to wince at this. "Oh, come on. I know it seems bad. But remembering the good makes you feel more confident, right?"

"I don't think that's the best topic right now, Bolin." Mako gently reprimanded his brother.

Korra eyes fell on the other side of the camp. There were others awake, probably looking for family, or worried about what would happen. Benders, non-benders… she had never really thought about it before. In the Southern Water Tribe, it had mostly been no big deal. Hunters and warriors consisted of both benders and non-benders. There were plenty of non-bending warriors that could take on a waterbender, she had seen it once when they tried to capture a criminal. But mostly it was because she had been around benders her whole life. The White Lotus were full of benders, although there were some non-benders as well, but they all excelled in one form of fighting style or another.

"Something wrong?" Asami prompted Korra. Korra turned and found that three sets of eyes were on her.

"No. Just… I realized I never really thought about benders and non-benders until I got to Republic City." Korra shrugged.

"Really?" Bolin asked, "There weren't any non-benders in the South? Hm, well, all those White Lotus seem to be benders."

"There are White Lotus that aren't benders." Korra said. "And there were plenty of non-benders in the South. Our warriors and hunters consisted of both. It was so natural, I never questioned it. After all, plenty of those non-benders could take on a waterbender."

"I thought you mentioned something about bending being the coolest thing in the world?" Mako pointed out, "Remember, you said when you first got here, you saw an Equalist rally?"

"Well it is!" Korra insisted, "But I never said not being able to bend wasn't cool. I just felt so annoyed that he was saying things like tearing down the bending establishment. No one down south ever felt like they were being oppressed because they couldn't bend. Chief Sokka was a non-bender, so was Ty Lee, and Mai, and Suki. But they never complained about this stupid "bending establishment." And being able to bend _is_ really cool."

"Uh, who now?" Bolin looked confused. "I know Chief Sokka and Suki and that Mai name seems familiar…"

"They were part of the hundred year war." Mako explained to his brother. Korra nodded.

"What part did they have?" Bolin turned to his brother, "How come I've never heard of them? Or maybe I have but forgot?"

"Chief Sokka and Suki were both part of Team Avatar. I know Suki was a Kiyoshi Warrior and so was Ty Lee and uh, Mai was from the Fire Nation…" Mako looked to Korra for help.

"Mako's right. They were part of the Hundred Year War. But they don't have statues like Councilman Sokka has which is probably why they don't seem familiar to you. Suki was the leader of the Kiyoshi Warriors, who befriended and aided the Avatar. Ty Lee and Mai were Princess Azula's closest confidantes, her right and left hands so to speak until the day they betrayed her. The three of them were non-benders who played a large part in the lives of Aang and his friends." Asami was the one who explained. Mako and Bolin looked at her in surprise.

"Yeah! You guys know about the escape from the Boiling Rock Prison?" Korra eagerly spoke up.

"I've heard about it." Mako confirmed, "But they always had different versions of the escape. The only sure thing was that Fire Lord Zuko and Councilman Sokka had orchestrated an escape from the previously unescapable prison in order to bust out Sokka and Katara's father. Everyone always enjoyed stories of Aang and his friends, but… not everyone got the details right, I guess. They said that Sokka and Zuko had ridden in on a dragon and attacked the place. Then there were some that said that they swam there and Zuko had this secret firebending technique that helped them with the boiling water. There weren't many books about it though…"

"I prefer the dragon-riding!" Bolin grinned.

"Huh, Katara did say that there were many wrong information that people spread around. Sokka had tried to correct their accounts but, a lot of people didn't want to listen, preferring their own version." Korra shrugged.

"So, what _did_ happen?" Bolin asked.

Korra shot a glance at Asami, who seemed to understand that Korra was giving her the floor. She looked at Korra curiously before going on to relate the story of the Boiling Rock.

"…And when Azula asks her why she did it, even knowing the consequences, Mai replies that "You miscalculated, I love Zuko more than I fear you." And just as Azula is about to kill Mai, Ty Lee jumps in, chi-blocks Azula and joins Mai. And that's how… Azula was betrayed by those closest to her."

"And her decline to craziness. That Agni Kai between her brother and her though, I would have loved to see that." Korra grinned.

"Wait, I never knew you were into history." Mako noted, looking at Asami.

"You don't know a lot of things about me." Asami coolly replied. Both Korra's and Bolin's wide-eyed gazes flitted uneasily between the two.

"Their library is filled with stories about non-benders. And the Avatars." Korra spoke up, hoping to ease the tension. Three pairs of eyes looked at her in surprise.

"How did you know—"

"When did you see—"

"Korra, you read?!"

Korra was bewildered at the barrage of questions. "Uh, when we searched for the Sato mansion. I stumbled upon the library while waiting. And uh, I found _a lot_ of the titles familiar. And yes, Bolin, I do read. You'd be surprised. Back in the south, all I could do was train or read. And I had plenty of time. Although, I did end up burning half the library when they _forced_ me to read." Korra shrugged.

Asami had an impressed look on her face at this new bit of information. Mako raised his eyebrow at the fact that Korra had burned down a library in her anger.

"Wow, you actually read." Bolin said in awe.

"Hey! What do you think I am?" Korra feigned indignation. "I read anything that seems interesting."

"You mean, with a lot of fighting, right?" Asami teased. Korra reddened at this. Mako looked at the two in surprise.

"Of course not." Korra defended herself, then started mumbling, "I mean, all the past Avatars stories were good. A lot of Aang's stories weren't that accurate, or lacked detail though, according to Katara. So she'd give me her own personal account. Which of course, I always told her to skip to the exciting parts…"

Asami chuckled, making Korra even redder. Mako seemed about to comment on that when Korra tried to redirect the conversation to the original topic.

"Anyway! What I'm saying is… is it really like that, Asami? Do the benders oppress the non-benders?"

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami looked thoughtfully at Korra. She realized it was the first time any of them had actually brought up the issue at hand. They never really talked about why Amon and the Equalists were doing this. But they did know the "how" was wrong. And it was both surprising and yet not so surprising that it was Korra that had broached the subject. Korra _was_ the Avatar after all. But Korra was also… Korra. Act first, think later. In most things, especially when it came to proving herself.

"Sorry." Korra spoke up again. Asami realized that she had been silent for a bit. "It's just… I've been having some dreams about Aang and Republic City. It didn't seem like that much of an issue. At least, that's what I think he's telling me. Aside from Yakone and bloodbending."

"You still can't talk to your past lives?" Mako asked. "I thought you connected to Aang?"

"No." Korra tersely replied, looking away. Apparently, that topic was still a sore spot for her. Asami shot a glance at Mako, worry etched on his face. She cringed at this but focused on the topic at hand. That's what she was good at after all, focusing.

"Well, there _are_ benders that use their power to extort people. Like the Triple Threats. Non-benders are often the most targeted because they usually can't fight back. There are weaker benders that they extort as well." Asami said carefully, "And when the Equalist movement started, a lot of people started looking differently at my father and me. There were still some who didn't of course. But a lot was being said about us. Turns out it was true of course, but…"

Korra looked guilty, "I never thought that your father was with the Equalists until I overheard that phone call."

"I know." Asami smiled gently at the girl. Having seen the girl, while her temper easily got the upper hand, Korra had never been malicious or biased, or dishonest about her thoughts and feelings.

Korra frowned, "And then Tarrlok went and pulled off that stunt with the non-benders. Argh!"

"I heard about all those things." Iroh finally spoke up. The four teenagers turned in surprise, having completely forgotten that he was there. He chuckled, "I was wondering what your perspectives were about it. They did mention you almost wiped out Tarrlok."

"And then got captured by him." Korra muttered.

"Bloodbending is a powerful type of bending." Iroh reminded her, "It is not so easily overcome. My grandfather has spoken very little about it, but he made it very clear that it was dangerous. You know, being a bender or a non-bender had never been much of an issue in most other areas."

"Your own uniforms indicate that you still separate yourselves into your elements." Asami pointed out, "And non-benders also get different uniforms."

"That is more to show which unit is what." Iroh explained.

"Wait, the United Army has different colors to differentiate the different elements and non-benders?" Korra scrunched her nose, "Doesn't that make it easy to determine what kind of power your opponent has? I mean, if I knew, I'd know exactly how to counter them."

Iroh looked at her curiously. "Hm perhaps that is something to take into account. An element of surprise."

"You mean, you've never thought about it?" Mako asked.

"It had never been an issue before. Easily identifying the unit has always been priority. And when it was built, not many wanted to oppose it. It was born from the army that had originally faced Ba Sing Se and was later combined with the military might of the Fire Nation. But seeing as more and more people feel like challenging it, perhaps that is another angle to take." Iroh mused, "But that is for another time. Right now, we have to face Amon and his Equalists."

"Yeah." Korra said, determination written all over her face.

"Just because Amon's and the Equalists' methods are wrong, doesn't mean they're fighting for the wrong thing. Remember, Republic City was born because my grandfather and Avatar Aang realized that separating the four nations back to how it was before the war would break up so many families and lives. But right now, the powers are imbalanced." Iroh spoke up again.

"But it isn't the benders' fault." Mako insisted, "We were benders and we had to do what we did in order to survive. No one took care of us."

"But we found it was easier to survive compared to our other friends who were non-benders." Bolin reminded his brother, "They couldn't even get accepted into anything. At all. They had to resort to begging on the streets."

"They just didn't work as hard as we did." Mako insisted. Asami and Korra frowned at this. "There were methods they could have used in order to survive off the street instead of just whining about how unfair life is. Life is unfair, but if I sat around moping around about how unfair it was to lose our parents, we wouldn't be here right now."

"So you're saying…" Korra started to raise her voice.

"No one is trying to invalidate whatever it is you went through." Iroh said smoothly, "But remember, bending is more natural than a non-benders' ability to fight. You don't have to be a master in order to burn down a house."

"I know, but… you don't have to be a master to hold a torch." Mako replied.

Iroh shook his head, "You're right, being a non-bender does not necessarily mean you're at a disadvantage. My own grandmother was said to have nearly beaten Katara back in the day, after all. But that is because she excelled in what she did. For people like her, bending is just another skill. And while she understood how important and natural it was for my grandfather, that didn't mean she needed it. After all, she had her own set of skills. But for others, especially those being targeted by the gangs in these cities, many would probably give anything to be able to do something so naturally in order to protect them and their family. Else, they see it as a form of power that is used to oppress them. For us, losing our bending is like losing an arm, or even our spirit. It is a connection to the element after all."

Asami looked at him with intense concentration, as if trying to grasp something she had yet to understand.

"Wow, you really are Lord Zuko's grandson." Korra breathed.

Iroh scratched his neck in embarrassment. "He always told me to look at a situation in different perspectives. And to trust in the Avatar."

Korra seemed to glance at Mako briefly, causing confusion in the young man.

"But wait, who _was_ your grandmother?" Bolin asked. Korra snorted, no wonder Bolin had been looking at Iroh in intense concentration. "I mean, I remember there being some talk about Fire Lord Izumi's mother, but… nothing big. Whenever I think about it, I just remember a lot of people were impressed with her skills."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Iroh laughed, "She may have loved my grandfather, but she was never very sociable. She had the proper etiquette but she was hardly approachable. She's very…serious like my mother can be at times. She was part of the Hundred Year War, Asami mentioned her. Her name was Mai."

"You mean that girl who was super awesome and saved Zuko-the-jerk-who-dumped-her and betrayed Azula?" Bolin gleefully said, "I knew there was a happy ending there somewhere!"

"Yeah, after all Zuko's brooding and pouting." Korra laughed. "Hey, he sounds a lot like you, Mako."

"We should start getting ready, it's almost dawn." Iroh moved from his position.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

She knew she couldn't win.

Not when Mako had looked at Korra that way, not when Korra looked at him back.

She knew she had lost him the moment he decided to go with Korra to face Amon.

There was no way she could win against those kinds of feelings. If she kept fighting, she'd just end up getting hurt.

And even when Mako was practically knocking on Korra's doorstep, Korra had been worried about _her_. Korra really was selfless. And brave. And strong. And she deserved to be happy. Asami cared about Mako, but she knew that staying together only meant getting hurt more.

"Asami."

Asami turned towards the sound of Mako's voice.

"I'm sorry things got so messed up between us." He looked at her sadly. "But whatever happens today, I want you to know how much I care about you."

 _So he's finally doing it. He's finally breaking up with me. And I have to let him go._

It was… painful, to say the least. Like she'd been ripped a new one. But she took a deep breath and told herself she was letting Mako go, for all of them. Mako, herself, and Korra.

"I care about you too." Asami admitted. She kissed him on the cheek. _Goodbye._ Then before he could do anything, Asami turned and rushed over to General Iroh and Bolin, trying to hold her tears back. She still had to face her father.

* * *

 **A/N:** Unlike how Korra had jumped to kiss Mako back when she barely knew Asami and was being jealous of Asami, this time she didn't do it. So there was a definite change in how she felt about kissing someone who was dating someone else. I wanted to explore that a bit.

Asami's father is obviously not on the forefront of Korra's mind but when she does realize it, she wants to do something about it, although she isn't exactly sure what to do. So she banks upon her own feelings and experience. And a little more of that unwavering trust Korra seems to put in Asami.

The discussion about the bender and non-bender problem was something I felt was needed in the show. Or at least, something that showed some dissection of the problem at hand. There was this big hurrah about the difference between bender and non-bender situations but apparently, all the problems disappear by taking down Amon and electing a non-bending President. So I wanted to imagine Team Avatar discussing it and bring different points of view to the table using the different characters.

I imagine that shops/companies, etc. would usually like to hire more benders than non-benders especially for jobs like the power plant or something because it reduces costs. And for places like Republic City, profit is important.

Mako enjoys reading in Book 3, but right now he's been so busy trying to take care of Bolin and himself plus a lack of resources for those things. And Asami still keeps up on her history because it makes her feel closer to her mother.

And yes, I like Mai and Zuko together.


	10. Airbending Alone

_**A/N:**_ I realized I had to finish this before Star Wars came out in my country. I am a fan, but I'm not so sure what to make of the new movie since they said they won't exactly follow the novels (the ones after six). And I've read some of the novels and I enjoyed how awesome Luke was. So yeah, I may be kind of a purist and I might end up feeling disappointed with the movie's story and I didn't want that to affect my writing mood. And since I just enjoyed watching the Little Prince, I figured now's a good a time as any.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

She stared out at the vast expanse of ocean in front of them. The water rolled back and forth against the ship. The ocean seemed unfathomably deep, and for once in her life, it didn't feel exciting. Korra moved her hand forward, wondering if maybe, some part of her could still connect to the water. She _was_ the Avatar, and she came from the water tribe. But the only answer the ocean gave was a strong thud against the ship's hull.

She turned to the flame coming from the lamp. She just wanted a sign, _something_ that told her she hadn't lost her connection to the other elements. Maybe it was fire, the first element that she had ever bent. She reached out, but she couldn't feel the same warmth in her fingertips as before. _Disconnected._ Her hand dropped to her side, then she moved forward, grabbing the railings. The dark and deep waters beckoned to her. She was sure there were secrets in those hidden depths.

A warm hand was laid upon her shoulder. Korra looked to her left, and Mako gave her an encouraging smile. Korra weakly smiled back, then turned to face the ocean again. The warmth felt both comforting and challenging. It reminded her of how fun it felt to be able to do something no one else could in the water tribe. And how much it hurt to lose her connection, the very foundation of how they found out that she was the Avatar. But she also felt Mako's concern and care for her.

"Korra, I…" Mako started to say. Korra just shook her head.

"Please." She whispered. Mako frowned but fell silent. She could feel the tension, but right now, she didn't feel like talking about it. She could feel his growing discomfort and inwardly sighed. She shouldn't make him feel so bad, it wasn't his fault. She finally spoke again. "The moon is nice tonight."

"Huh? …Oh, yeah." Mako awkwardly agreed. "It's… pretty. Korra, look I…"

"You don't have to say anything Mako." Korra said, not wanting to be told that everything was going to be alright. Not wanting to hear any more comforting platitudes. She knew that they all had the best intentions, but it only made her feel more sorry for herself, for being too weak. What kind of Avatar was she? "Katara's the best healer in the world."

"…okay. But I still want you to know that I believe you'll get through this. You're one of the strongest persons I've ever met." Mako finally spoke up again. Korra nodded, grateful for his concern, but at the same time, feared she wasn't living up to his expectations. She once again turned back to the ocean.

 _Aang, please, I hope Katara can fix this. She's a healer, a waterbender and a bloodbender. There must be some way she can undo this._

She didn't notice that Mako had left, feeling that Korra needed time alone to her thoughts. She never noticed the loss of his warmth or the protectiveness of his arms. She simply lost herself in the fathomless depths of changing hues of dark blue.

 _Because I don't know what else to do. I must be the worst Avatar ever. Please, Aang, I need you._

"Here."

A warm cup of tea found its way into Korra's hands, as green eyes looked at her gently. Korra blinked. Green eyes.

Asami smiled at her. "I imagined you were getting cold, and Pema said I could bring you some tea."

Korra nodded, not really feeling cold at all. She may have lost her firebending that made her naturally warmer but she had still grown up in the South. She was used to this kind of weather, but she accepted the gesture anyway. She glanced to her left. Asami was holding the railings, the wind blowing her hair, and a finger reaching out to tuck the stray strands behind her ear, to no avail. Asami gave up, simply looking out toward the ocean, her hands gripping the railing tighter, her jacket and hair flowing with the wind.

Asami really was beautiful and elegant. But somehow, the strongest impression Korra got at that moment, was how lonely the young heiress seemed.

 _Her only family left tried to kill her after all. And here I am wallowing about losing my bending._

Somehow, that thought made her feel worse. Naga placed her head under Korra's right hand, trying to get her best friend to cheer up. Absent-mindedly, Korra ran her hand along Naga's fur. Korra couldn't help but appreciate the silent companionship Asami offered. She turned her thoughts from her loss of bending, trying to find something else to think about.

She had heard the story from Bolin. Hiroshi Sato had captured them, attempted to change Asami's mind, and flew into a rage when Asami said that her mother would have hated him for what he was doing. They had later faced each other in mecha suits. And while Asami hesitated to deal the final blow, Hiroshi did not. And if not for Bolin and Naga, Asami would have been done for.

"Good girl." Korra murmured, scratching Naga's back. Asami glanced at her at the sound of her voice, appearing surprised that Korra had made any sound at all. Korra met the other girl's gaze this time, wondering if Asami wanted to talk about it.

 _Maybe not. I don't really want to talk about my own failures._

"Mako and I broke up." Asami said nonchalantly, as if she was talking about the weather.

Korra was surprised when Asami spoke up. Mako had already indicated such, but she hadn't expected Asami to bring it up.

"…Yeah, I saw you two." Korra replied, her voice low.

"Did he mention why?"

Korra shook her head, no. "We were too busy fighting off Amon for me to pay attention to any of that. I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Korra." Asami said.

"I have everything to be sorry about!" Korra said angrily.

Asami quieted, perhaps realizing that it wasn't just Mako they were talking about. Korra noticed this almost immediately.

"Sorry. I mean, I am sorry you and Mako broke up." Korra said more quietly. Asami had done nothing to deserve her wrath. "You guys are my friends, Asami. And I don't want you or Mako hurt. But… if I had been stronger, you wouldn't have had to face your father alone. If I had been stronger, Amon wouldn't have hurt so many people, or taken my bending away. I'm no Avatar anymore!"

Asami grabbed Korra's shoulders and made the shorter girl face her. Korra balled her fists in anger, ready to push Asami away but Asami's grip tightened, as if she knew what Korra would do.

"Korra! Look, you're hurting right now. I might not know what it's like to have bending and then to lose it, but I do know how it feels to lose something you've had for your whole life. And it's okay to hurt. You're not alone in that." Asami kept her eyes on Korra. "It hurts a lot. You were with me when that pain and confusion and loss was so raw. And I am going to be here for you, now."

"You're the one who had to face her dad and been nearly killed by him." Korra choked out. Asami smiled gently at the girl and eased her grip.

"Then we can be here for each other." Asami simply answered. Korra blinked, guilt filled her but the resolve in Asami's eyes gave Korra _something_ to grasp. A flicker of light in the bottomless ocean of darkness.

"I can't believe how strong you are."

Asami looked at Korra questioningly.

"Not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I just lost my bending and look at me now, a wreck. You faced your father, nearly died by his hand and here you are, supporting me." Korra explained brokenly. "You just seem so… put together."

"I learned from you." Asami said. Korra looked doubtfully at her companion. "No matter how many times you were beaten, you always got back up. You always came back to fight for what you believed in and you keep trying to do what's right. You may not always know the right way to go about something, but you persevere."

"I—" Korra noticed the lights that indicated they were nearing her Water tribe. Korra grimaced. "We're here. Well, I guess you guys will see what _home_ was like for me."

Before Asami could ask about that statement, Korra had already taken Naga to the edge of the ship that would connect to the port. Korra heard the door open and Mako was once again beside her, his hand on her shoulder. Bolin stood on her other side, sending her an encouraging smile and Korra smiled back. She noticed Asami hadn't left her position as of yet.

"Thank you." Korra mouthed. Asami sent a small, acknowledging smile her way. Korra got on top of Naga and bolted off the ship.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra couldn't stop grinning. They were all staying in the White Lotus Compound, having decided to celebrate their victory and the restoration of Korra's bending before they headed back to Republic City. Everyone was talking with excitement and cheer. Amon was gone, the Equalists were defeated, Korra had been able to airbend, and got back her bending and would now be able to restore others' bending as well. And she had finally been able to connect to her past lives and achieve the Avatar State. And the best thing yet? Mako had told her he loved her. _He said he loves me. He's returned my feelings. Spirits._

She could feel his hand squeeze her own and she returned it. She glanced around the room. Katara was on one side, with her grandchildren. Ikki and Meelo seemed to be arguing about something and pointing at Rohan but Katara calmly and quickly spoke up, which made the two of them lean in to listen. Pema looked relieved that she didn't have to chase after her two hyperactive children and instead focused on taking care of Rohan, the newest addition to their family. Jinora herself seemed interested with what Katara was saying as well as she had put down the book she was reading. Korra wondered what it was about too and was half-tempted to stand up and get herself over there. That was when Katara raised her face and met Korra's gaze. Korra's waterbending mentor's eyes were twinkling and she directed a tender smile at Korra. Korra suddenly had a feeling that Katara was relieving memories, especially since Korra had explained that it was Aang that had taught her how to restore bending.

Korra's eyes moved over to her parents and Tenzin, their attention captured by the baby in Pema's arms. She knew they had been worried about her and while she felt sometimes that her Dad was too overprotective of her, she was grateful for their presence right now. Lin was looking disdainfully at Rohan and Korra nearly laughed.

"Hey, Korra! What was it like talking to Aang?" Bolin asked excitedly, "And it's so awesome that I actually got to meet Katara! Wow, to be trained by one of the heroes of the Hundred Year War. Did Toph and Zuko teach you too?"

"No, Toph was chief of police then she relocated to someplace outside of Republic City. Katara said she visited once but had complained about the "barren iceland doing nothing for her senses". And Zuko was Fire Lord then became a diplomat. But he visited when I was young as well. I remember his visit though." Korra explained.

"Oh, but wow. Well, I guess since you're the Avatar and everything you would have connections with your past life's friends." Bolin nodded his head.

"I guess I'm going to have to get used to meet world leaders and heroes if I'm the Avatar's boyfriend, huh?" Mako smirked at her. Korra punched his arm in retaliation before smiling and kissing him on the cheek. That was when Korra noticed that Asami had looked away.

 _Idiot. You had a hard time when they were together, what do you think Asami's feeling?_

When Mako tried to put his arm around her in reply, she moved a bit away from him, shooting him a warning glare. He returned it with confusion and Korra glanced at Asami, Mako finally getting the message. His eyes widened slightly and shifted a little away from Korra.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"You didn't come back in."

Asami turned after a moment. "Sorry. I lost myself out here. The snow makes everything seem so… clean."

Korra took in Asami Sato, pale skin, arms that hugged her torso, and those emerald green eyes that were usually confident and playful had a certain dimness in them. Unlike Korra getting her bending back, Asami wasn't going to get her dad back. Korra decided then to whistle for Naga.

"What are you doing?" Asami asked when Korra got on top of Naga. Korra reached a hand out for the other girl.

"I'm going to show you a better view." Korra said. "And I don't take no for an answer. Come on. Just the two of us."

Asami raised an eyebrow at this but Korra used her airbending to push Asami toward her.

"Being a little forceful are we?" Asami teased. Korra grinned and shrugged.

"So where are we headed?" Asami asked as Korra led Naga away from the compound.

"A secret place. Alright, fine, a cave. It's pretty hidden and stuff."

When they got to the place, Korra hopped off of Naga and Asami jumped down with her.

"What?" Asami asked her when Korra raised an eyebrow.

"You always make everything seem so graceful." Korra shrugged, "Now, come on."

Korra guided Asami along the cave's narrow front entrance. Korra smiled as she heard the familiar cracking sounds that echoed throughout the cavern.

"What was that?" Asami asked, fear tainting her voice a little.

"You'll see." Korra cryptically replied.

The pair finally walked into a large chamber. Korra grinned as she heard Asami gasp behind her in awe. The walls were covered by a shiny sheet of blue ice that seemed as if it was liquid suspended on the walls of the cave. Light danced on the cave walls, further enhancing their surreal appearance. The ice itself seemed to move and sway, just like waterbending. In the middle stood a beautiful frozen waterfall.

"The glacier in the caves creates the cracking sound. You can hear the cracks because the glacier moves." Korra explained.

"Wow, this is so beautiful, Korra." Asami breathlessly said. Korra watched as the heiress walked deeper into the room.

"I told you." Korra grinned. She stood by as Asami wandered around the large room, inspecting each and every inch of the marvels. Sometimes she could hear Asami mutter about a theory or other.

 _I wonder if I should talk about Mako? How do you even deal with this thing? I mean, they were just going out, and now Mako just told me he loves me. I mean, when they were going out, I felt hurt and jealous. Not_ _ **all**_ _the time, but my feelings were there. It wasn't always at the forefront, I did have a lot of other things to think about. And what about Asami? Is she uncomfortable? Of course, you douche. She just lost everything, including her boyfriend. And then she has to watch you with him. Remember how that felt? Argh. I don't know what to do!_

Korra felt the slow drop of the temperature. It wasn't much but it signaled that they had to go back soon as the sun was setting.

"Asami." Korra called. The other girl turned toward Korra and Korra lit up a fire in her hands. The warm light bounced of the cave's shell-like ceiling, casting an eerie red. The ice changed to a dominant red but at the edges, blue and red seemed to melt and mix.

"The cave in your favorite color." Korra grinned. Asami looked on in amazement. Korra noticed how Asami was hugging herself, small trembles escaping. Korra walked toward her, the fire getting warmer by the second. "We should get going, it'll be dark soon."

Asami nodded, "Thank you for showing me this."

"It's my thank you for being there for me earlier. You deserved to see this."

Asami shivered again and this time Korra shrugged off her jacket and placed it on Asami's shoulders. Asami looked at Korra in surprise.

"Aren't you cold?" Asami asked.

"I'm from the South." Korra proudly said, "This is nothing. Besides, I'm a firebender."

"Oh. Wait, so that tea earlier…"

"The gesture was appreciated, Miss Sato." Korra's trademark lopsided grin was directed at the taller girl. "Now, come on before the sun sets."

When they emerged back outside, the sun was low in the sky, producing a beautiful spectrum across the sky. Yellow gave way to orange which gave way to red, which gave way to purple, which gave way to different shades of blue. Asami was left breathless once again.

"It really is beautiful here. Thank you so much Korra." Asami turned to the water tribe girl. Korra rubbed her neck in embarrassment.

"You're welcome, 'Sami." Korra replied. She sent an uneasy glance at the other girl. _I should apologize, and talk about Mako. It's now or never._

"Uh, Asami? We're… friends, right?" Korra awkwardly started. Asami looked at Korra in confusion.

"I mean, with Mako? When he said he loved me and I got my bending back, I was so happy that I just jumped in. And I should've thought about your feelings more. I mean you just lost a lot, and you don't get a fix like I did and I'm really sorry for this. But I really do care about you. But I kind of like Mako a lot. And I won't do anything in your face or anything. I swear!"

Asami sighed before smiling at Korra. "It's okay Korra. Remember, I told you I was giving you my blessing. I meant it. I'll be fine. There's just a lot to think about once we get back to Republic City. Future Industries falls into my hands now with Dad in prison."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that… He doesn't deserve you as a daughter. I mean, it was the reason I actually brought you out here in the first place."

Asami smiled gratefully, "Thank you, Korra."

"Yeah, you deserve better. Just… I really don't know how this works. With Mako and us." Korra said awkwardly. Asami giggled. "What?"

"Nothing, you just look completely awkward right now." Asami grinned, "Is talking about your feelings so uncomfortable?"

"Well, these kinds of feelings!" Korra said, "I really don't want to hurt you and I'm really grateful for you. And I know you're strong and all, but you don't have to be all the time. I sound like a hypocrite, don't I? I guess I'm just saying I'm here for you. And… I have never done this before. So I have no idea how this goes and you and Mako and Bolin have become really important to me."

"You'll be fine, Korra." Asami smiled at her. Korra let out a relieved sigh.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Korra looked over at Asami. Bolin and Mako had greeted them when they came back. Mako had a worried look on his face when they saw him running toward them, which had changed into a confused and uncomfortable look when he saw the two of them together.

"Where were you guys? We were looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh, sorry Bo." Korra apologized.

"We were so worried about you." Mako seemed to admonish. "I didn't know what had happened to you and…"

"I'm fine Mako. I just wanted to show something to Asami."

"How come we didn't get to come?" Bolin pouted.

"I didn't want to take us all from the dining table. Besides, you looked like you were in heaven with the amount of meat they served. Never take a growing boy away from food." Korra teased.

"True, true." He nodded.

"Come on, I'll tour you guys to the rest of the compound. I'll even show you a few of the things I did for training. And that library."

When Mako put his arm around Korra, Korra looked over at Asami. Asami smiled at her softly. When Korra was satisfied, she faced forward and continued talking with Bolin. Asami followed them from behind. She sighed.

 _I know I told Korra it was fine. I mean, it_ _ **is.**_ _I don't mind it being her, she deserves to be happy. But it does sting, seeing them together. It hurts more than I care to admit. But I_ _ **am**_ _glad that I'm not losing them. Although Korra seems to be awkward doing things around me._

The said girl had avoided another kiss from Mako and glanced awkwardly at Asami. Asami simply pretended she wasn't looking so that Korra wouldn't feel so strange. _It's still strange. But I really don't want her to act so awkwardly. But I guess it's how she felt when Mako and I were together and she was the one looking in. I guess I have to be careful. I don't want her to change around me._

"Asami? Are you okay?" Bolin's voice broke her line of thought. Asami looked to her left. Bolin had a look of innocent concern on her face.

"I'm fine, Bolin." Asami smiled, "I was just thinking about what we're going to do when we get back to Republic City."

"We'll change the city!" Bolin declared, "But really, I don't know what to expect when we get back. This whole thing has just been some crazy ride. But it's been fun! And we'll be Team Avatar forever! Always having each other's backs! Friends for all time."

Asami smiled at his confidence. He and Korra seemed alike in so many ways. She couldn't help but feel warm at his declaration though. _Friends for all time, I think I like the sound of that._

 _Hey, Mom? Life's been messed up a bit in recent events. But I think I've truly found them. The people who'll have my back as much as I have theirs. They don't care that I'm a non-bender, and they see me for who I am. I'm actually friends with the Avatar, I'm_ _ **part**_ _of Team Avatar. And we're having adventures just like in the stories, just like I wanted. It's more dangerous than I ever imagined, and more painful. But I'm glad I met them. And I promise I'll do what I can to do what I believe is right. You don't have to worry anyway. Korra may be rash, but she's got her heart in the right place and I know she'll always try to do the right thing. I'll make you proud, Mom._

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ I wasn't really sure how I wanted to go about this part. If I had Korra apologize or not. In the end, I had her sort of apologize to Asami after belatedly realizing why Asami would be feeling bad. I kind of liked the image in my head of Korra being all awkward about it. And I recently saw a post on ice caves so that made me want to put that in as well.

And there you have it, end of Book 1. I was kind of unsatisfied with the ending in the show. Korra so easily got her bending back, snagged the guy, and the non-bender issues were brushed off as if the ideals and oppression died with Amon. Those things just don't disappear. But even if I was unsatisfied, I still want to try and fit in all these moments in the canon.

I am not a Makorra fan, obviously. I mean, I like Mako and I like Korra (although I would probably butt heads with both of them often), I just don't think much of them as a couple. But I don't doubt that in-verse their feelings were all genuine. But that love triangle was really… bleh. And the way it was tied up in the ending. But hey, to each his/her own. I actually could see it ending up with unrequited love. Haha. That would've been fun. Something like: Asami - Korra - Mako - Asami (sorry Bolin you're not included but I do think you're the most awesome dork out of them. Haha. Your reaction to rejection/break-up is so much better than Mako's :P). That day on the racetrack suddenly had me thinking that Asami was flirting hard with Korra and Korra was all oblivious. And maybe that's when Mako and Asami got serious, for Asami. Haha. But nah, I'll stick with Asami not looking for a romantic relationship in Korra. Yet. Although I don't think she was truly in love with Mako, she did care a lot though.

So hope you enjoyed this first part! I promise there'll be more. For Books 2-4. Just not this December because it's going to be quite busy for me.


	11. From Hero to Zero

_**(Korra)**_

"There's our hero!" Bolin threw his arms around Korra gleefully. Korra grinned and Mako held up the paper in front of her.

"They've got my girlfriend all over the news." Mako grinned at her.

" _Republic City Welcomes Back It's Heroes. Avatar Korra Wows the Waiting Crowd."_ the headline declared.

"Team Avatar arrived early from the Southern Water Tribe. They had reportedly spent time there to recuperate after the final battle against the leaders of the Equalist Revolution. The Avatar herself greeted the waiting crowd with grand displays for bending." Korra read, "Avatar Korra has requested a press conference be held early this morning for a grand announcement."

"The radio's been full of chatter since your interview this morning!" Bolin said excitedly, "Everyone's been abuzz about your announcement of returning bending and a lot of people are just really, really impressed."

"I'm glad to be giving them good news for once. And everyone's just really glad I'm here." Korra smiled. _I'm finally the Avatar everyone needs me to be._

"We heard your whole speech on the radio." Mako nodded, "You didn't have any trouble with them? They seemed to be coming on pretty strong."

"Yeah." Korra grimaced slightly, "The questions about rumors of bloodbending were pretty harsh. But Tenzin and I had talked about it. I didn't really give them any specifics about the theory in removing bending or how I'd be able to return it. I'm not really good with explanations, since I'm just better at showing it. Either way, at least they were more welcoming this time."

Mako nodded and placed his arm around Korra, "We should head in. I'm sure we're not the only ones who want to welcome you back. Pema's probably already done everything she can to keep Meelo, Ikki, and Jinora away from us this long."

"Yeah, I still owe Meelo payback for earlier—hey! Guys, look! They even have a picture! I'm on the paper!" Bolin grabbed the paper from Korra and shoved the picture in their faces.

"You've been on the paper before… Remember our Team Avatar shots?"

"But we look awesome in this picture! Here, it says, 'Team Avatar displaying different forms of bending. Earth, Fire, Air, Water' and look, they even have Meelo doing his fartbending!" Bolin was full of glee.

"Of course, that's what they caught on camera." Mako shook his head, "I can't believe you were showing off like there's no tomorrow."

"Well, getting back my bending was a cause for celebration."

"After we talked about the bender-non-bender situation, you pull that off." Mako deadpanned.

"Oh, come on, it was fun! Even Asami got into it. The boat itself was showing off!" Bolin said eagerly.

"That _was_ incredible! Wait, where is Asami?" Korra asked, looking around for the last member of their team.

"She said she had some stuff to take care of in the city. She'd be back for dinner." Bolin informed her.

"If I had known, Naga and I could have picked her up." Korra frowned.

"She said she didn't want to be a bother."

"She wouldn't have been a bother."

"Maybe she just wants some time alone." Mako suggested, "With Mr. Sato in prison…"

"Oh. Right." Korra's face fell.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Mako gently said. "She'll come to us when she needs us."

"Yeah, you're right."

"Korraaaaaa!" Two orange blurs crashed into the Avatar. And if it wasn't for Korra's quick footing and stable stance, she'd have fallen over.

"You sounded really good on the radio." Jinora complimented, trailing after her younger siblings.

"Yeah! You showed those reporters! No Equalist is going to bring you down!"

"Did you tell them about Grandpa Aang? About how he returned your bending? What about energybending? Did you show them your Avatar State? You can airbend now too!"

Korra laughed. _I can airbend. And I have the Avatar State. I'm going to beat anyone who tries to upset the balance, I swear._

"Yeah, I can airbend now. But I didn't tell them everything Ikki, gotta keep a surprise." Korra grinned.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

She didn't slam the door, in fact, she closed it as gently as she could. But the noise the door made still resounded throughout the whole house and even seemed to magnify in volume.

 _Thank you for reminding me how empty this place is. Granted, it had never been truly full anyway._

She remembered how the echoes of her own footsteps had used to annoy her. One day she started pretending that the echoes were the sounds of other people running with her, friends she couldn't see, echoes of the adventures she'd have in the future.

Then those echoes had been replaced by the sounds of engines, purring, roaring, they had always been her best and most constant companions. They had certainly been better companions than any her age, until of course, Mako came into her life, then Bolin and Korra.

 _Korra…_

The city had welcomed her a hero. Asami smiled remembering glancing at the headlines earlier. Asami looked around at the mansion and took a deep breath.

 _Here we go._ _Think of those future adventures._

… _But those same future adventures ended up being about taking my own father down._

It had been the right thing to do, and she'd do it again if she'd have to.

 _Let's hope I don't have to._

Doing it still left a bitter taste in her mouth and the ache in her chest had even doubled now that she had nothing else to focus on. There were no Equalists to take down, no bloodbenders to fight, no Avatar to rescue, everything was okay now.

 _Except me. Why Dad? Was I not enough?_

 _No. You are not going to think about that. You've just gotten back, allow yourself some form of reprieve, Asami. You helped defeat the Equalists, you helped do the right thing._

 _Focus on those future_ _ **fun**_ _adventures. You're part of Team Avatar now._

Asami saw the first engine she had ever built, displayed for all to see. She remembered the proud look in her father's eyes when she had shown it to him. It wasn't for a real car, it had just been one of those model cars with instructions, but she had reveled in the attention he had paid her then. She just hadn't been satisfied with the speed or the way it made those turns around the small track, so she applied what she had read from her father's books and his explanations. When it had worked, quite excellently as her father had stated, she finally understood why her father spent countless of hours in his workshop and why he loved what he did. She loved it too.

And finally, _finally,_ Asami had been let in his world again. Not that she wasn't before. He would often have dinner with her although he'd usually disappear into his workshop again after. But after that engine, they started working together on Satomobiles and it ended up being her favorite part of her day. But her father was still Hiroshi Sato, the businessman, and more often than not, his work found him absent in Asami's daily activities. He would usually make it up by giving her most of what she'd requested although those requests were infrequent as she wanted to earn what she got, and her father knew that. He was the one that instilled that in her after all. But there were things like special parts for her Satomobile, or being able to work with one of the best drivers in the city on her racing skills on which she'd use those special privileges for. There were few exceptions though, things he didn't give her when she'd ask, like when she told him about her interest to watch pro-bending after hearing it on the radio. He had sternly told her no, even when she pleaded, so she had sneaked out and he had found out and when he realized he couldn't stop her, he had given in with a sigh and promised to get her VIP tickets for all the matches she wanted to go to. That's how it went when there were things that she wanted to do and he didn't approve of it. _It was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission._ He had always, always made sure she was happy and when he saw how those things made her happy, he'd give in eventually.

She had never imagined that the father who loved and supported her through all these years would be capable of so much hatred. He had become someone her mother would never have approved of.

 _Asami, stop. You're only hurting yourself._

Asami sighed and forced her mind to focus. The family butler had informed her that there were some letters that were left for her while she was down in the South Pole and that Future Industries' board members were seeking a meeting with the heiress of the Sato family business.

 _Well, at least, there is something new to focus on._

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami stood by and watched from afar, Mako and Korra were butting heads about something and Bolin appeared to be trying to calm the couple down. Finally Korra said something that caused Mako to nod and smile and the two kissed. Asami felt that familiar twist in her chest and took a deep breath once more.

 _They look so happy._

She felt that pang again, envious of their happiness but she quelled it quickly. Asami wanted to allow them a few more minutes of their time together, but apparently, she wasn't as out of sight as she thought.

"Asami!" Bolin eagerly called over, "You made it in time for dinner!"

She noticed Mako and Korra tense and shoot awkward glances at each other, as if getting caught in doing something wrong. Asami frowned, suddenly feeling as if she was a bother. The last thing she wanted was for them to be uncomfortable around her.

"Asami, you're here!" A shrill voice caused Asami to look to her right, taking her attention away from her friends.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

When Ikki, Meelo and Jinora had caught Asami's attention, Korra immediately set the newspaper behind her back aflame.

" _Future Industries investors looking to back out in wake of Equalist ties"_

The bolded text burned last. Korra used her airbending to make sure the smell wouldn't reach Asami. Jinora had pointed it out to the three of them while they were reading the articles about Korra and Team Avatar. Korra had immediately wanted to punch some sense into those investors and support Asami but Mako had tried to convince her not to do anything rash. They had gone back and forth for a bit but in the end, Korra had agreed that they'd let Asami talk about it in her own time, but when she did, they'd do everything they could to help her.

When Korra was sure that any trace of the newspaper had disappeared, she stood up with a grin and approached Asami.

"Nice to let her feel welcome, but which one of you is watching over Rohan?" Korra raised her eyebrow at the three airbending kids. Ikki and Meelo started pointing fingers while Jinora tried to deflect any blame on her. When they heard Rohan's cry, all three airbending kids left in a flash. Korra chuckled, "They seem to adore you as much as their brother. You know Ikki asked me if you'd be able to teach her how to fight because according to her, you look more graceful fighting than I do. I told her I'm supposed to look fierce, and Meelo agreed. But I'm not so sure what to feel that it's Meelo who idolizes me."

Asami's lips raised in a small smile. "You look graceful when you fight too."

"And I say I'm supposed to look fierce." Korra huffed but grinned when she heard Asami's laugh.

"Alright, fierce and beautiful." Asami agreed, Korra blinked at the statement. Asami looked at her in concern. "What is it?"

Korra shook her head, "Nothing. So where'd you disappear to and what'd you do? You missed Naga chasing away some reporters."

"I just had to take care of some things. There were some papers left at home and well, I have to figure how to do business now."

"Oh. Well, if there's anything we can do to help, just ask, alright?" Korra looked over at Asami. Asami nodded.

"That's right! Team Avatar will take those investors down!" Bolin raised his fist. Korra and Mako turned to look at Bolin who realized his mistake and sheepishly laughed.

"What he means to say is that we're backing Korra's claim up."

"Thank you." Asami smiled.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra looked toward the main island as Oogi flew them there. They had been asked to attend as the press conference would be about the remaining Equalist rallies and Amon's current status.

The press had grown bored with the hero angle so when non-benders had taken to rallies once more, claiming that the Avatar was only for the benders, they immediately zoned in on that. The press conference they were heading to right now would be about the Equalist rallies and to top it off, Amon and Tarrlok's statuses were still missing in action. Some people had latched onto the fear that Amon would be back, although Tenzin and Korra had assured them that if he did, Korra would be able to stop him again. She frowned, the press never eased up on her.

"So they still haven't confirmed what happened to Amon, sir?" Mako's voice brought Korra out of her frustrated loop.

"I'm afraid not. He and his brother Tarrlok have all but disappeared." Tenzin frowned, "Although Lin did say she had something to tell me regarding that after the press conference."

Korra perked up at this, "The Chief's found something?"

Tenzin shook his head, "Lin's never been one to declare anything without proof. But we will clear the matter up after this press conference."

Korra grimaced. Rallies had started up again. They had been demanding that the Avatar do something about their situation, complained that no one was listening to the non-bender problems, and that the Avatar had simply protected the benders and didn't care about the non-benders. It had frustrated and annoyed Korra and nearly had her blasting them with her newfound airbending abilities. She was trying to help as best as she could, but with the police busy rounding up the scattered Equalists and the Council still trying to find replacement Tarrlok before they could convene about the steps they would take regarding the aftermath of the Equalists. Tenzin had agreed that something needed to be changed, but he wasn't the only one to make a decision and had asked Korra to patiently wait.

Korra huffed again. Mako placed an arm around her, making her turn to him. He offered an encouraging smile and she smiled tentatively back.

"It's going to be okay," Mako said.

"They rest of the Council will be here later, perhaps we will finally be able to discuss the situation." Tenzin added.

"I want to be there." Korra declared, "We—Team Avatar—have been talking about the problems we've seen and I want to give you our inputs."

"I—" Tenzin looked unsurely at Korra.

"Who better to give inputs than those who've been on the same streets the Equalists have been. We've all brought in a different perspective and I want to show that to the Council. We've thought up some things we think would be okay to implement." Korra pushed.

"Korra, I'm sure Tenzin and the Council are doing all they can." Mako offered.

"No, it's alright. I will inform them of your interest." Tenzin said, "For now, I believe we're nearing City Hall."

Korra let out another annoyed huff. Chief Beifong would be the main speaker, but they were expecting Korra to speak as well. She let out a sigh, knowing what was to come. Being hailed a hero was as short-lived as that break in the South. Tenzin and Mako shot her a knowing look.

"There are still those who care about what you did, Korra." Tenzin said gently. "The press simply ask what they believe they need to ask."

"I know. But… it just gets frustrating how they ask it sometimes." Korra huffed. She felt a warm hand on her left shoulder and glanced to her right at Mako. He gave her an encouraging smile and squeezed her arm. She smiled gratefully at him.

"You'll be fine. You've navigated through them before. Just answer truthfully." Mako suggested.

"Yeah, navigated and fell into a ravine." Korra recalled bitterly how she had so easily fallen for Tarrlok's tricks.

"Hey, it's okay. You'll do great now, I'm sure. We fought down Equalists and won, you can handle a crowd like that." Mako assured her. Korra nodded hesitantly as they descended towards the crowd of people.

"Avatar Korra, is there no word about Amon's current whereabouts?"

"Some people say that he and Tarrlok are dead."

Flashes of light blinded Korra once again.

"The Republic City police and I are doing our best to locate him." Korra said.

"Why were you unable to capture the leader of the Equalists? Aren't you the Avatar?"

"What are you going to do about the Equalist rallies?"

"Are you just going to allow those Equalists on the streets?"

"As the Avatar, don't you think it was the non-benders that caused the imbalance in power?"

With each question, Korra's temper flared. _How have they not learned anything since the Equalists? This sort of thinking is exactly why… ugh! And they're blaming me for not being able to catch Amon? I saved them and this… ugh. And I was just getting used to how grateful they were that I saved the city._

"The Equalists' methods were wrong, but its generalizations like these that non-benders find both oppressive and offensive!"

"So you're saying Amon was right?"

"What's it like fighting alongside a non-bender?"

"What do you say about having an Equalist on your team?"

That was it.

"Amon was wrong! He tried to change things through fear. He used the people's legitimate concerns for his own good. How can anyone call that right? And for the record, my team is composed of the best people I've ever met. They stayed by my side and fought against all the wrong things. They believed the same thing that I did: this city needs change, but the Equalists' methods were wrong. What they were doing was just replacing one kind of injustice with another injustice. I don't plan to ignore the issues the non-benders have raised and I will be speaking to the Council about these things." Korra angrily spat out. She found Mako looking worriedly at her and she took a deep breath, "Look, when Aang was still alive, this city was the epitome of how everyone could work together and build great things, whoever you were, whatever you could do, if you were from the Fire Nation or the Earth Nation or the Water Tribes, bender or non-bender, what was important was how we all fit in together. And I want to continue that with you, build even greater things that I know we are capable of doing."

Korra stepped back and took a deep breath as Chief Beifong took over for her.

"You okay?" Mako asked when her three friends approached.

"Yeah, I just, ugh. They were just recently congratulating us and being grateful for saving the city and now they're back on my case."

"Hey, it's alright. You did pretty great up there." Asami tried to encourage her. "And thank you for saying that about our team."

"Yeah! That speech was really touching and amazing and just wow!" Bolin scooped Korra in a hug.

"It's not just the press that are being so hard on me though." Korra sighed.

"The non-bending rallies." Mako said grimly, "I'm glad none of them showed up today. They were really bad yesterday."

"What happened?" Bolin asked. He was the only one not present in the press conference yesterday.

"They just started hurling insults and negative criticisms against Korra." Mako ran his hand through his hair. "Good thing Korra had training yesterday."

"Like what?"

"That we took away their chance for true Equality, that we weren't heroes, just bullies, that we were just kicking down the weaker people because we had bending."

"Yeah, that wasn't one of my better moments." Korra sighed. She had answered each question with spite and anger, each word biting but at the same time, honest, even if sometimes misguided. Her responses were usually rife with emotion, wrath being at the forefront. But after, she'd feel down and frustrated and angry. She was lucky to have her friends around. Mako had been nothing but supportive. He was there for her training, the press conferences, rallies, everything, even as he was trying to look for a job. He didn't always have the best words but he tried to comfort and encourage her as much as he could. She was truly grateful to have him.

"Korra." Tenzin approached them. "Lin has told me that they've gathered information on Amon and Tarrlok, they found remains of the ship out at sea. Mako's source was quite reliable."

"Thank you, sir."

"The Council will be meeting immediately. We've found someone to replace Tarrlok. Please be on your best behavior." Tenzin turned to Korra.

"When have I not been on my best behavior?" Korra asked. Tenzin just sighed.

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm sorry for taking so long. I've been sitting on this thing for about three weeks now. I wasn't sure about the details. The first 3 (or 4, still working on that) chapters were actually just one chapter initially but as you'll see, I ended up having to split it into more parts. And I kept going back and forth whether I wanted the certain things included and if it would break canon or not, if it was too rushed or not, if I was able to portray the characters in the way I believed they were at that moment in time. I usually try to highlight traits that I either appreciate a lot, or notice them showing in earlier seasons but it isn't often brought to the forefront during that season (Korra's ability to empathize[?] for example is only really highlighted in Book 4 but she shows she's been capable of that since the beginning, its just not her dominant trait.). I actually wrote it all up then decided to scrap it all and redid it, then got stuck. It also hasn't helped that I've been having other ideas about an LoK AU. So I've been writing out those ideas so I could get myself to focus on this. I won't start with that until I finish this though. Anyway, I'm not too sure about this but I hope it gives a sort of background on the way everyone was at Book 2 (more tension between Tenzin and Korra, tension between Mako and Korra, Asami not really with Team Avatar for the first few episodes, Bolin and Asami bonding, etc). So this is the sort of build-up to all those problems at the start of Book 2 while still addressing the Equalist problems.


	12. From Hero to Zero Part 2

_**(Asami)**_

 _I can do this._

Asami breathed deeply. She barely missed the pitying look her father's, or rather, the secretary (not hers, she didn't quite feel that any of this was hers but it was no longer her father's either) was sending her. Asami put on her most confident smile and flipped her hair. She noticed the secretary relax at this just as Asami opened the door to the meeting room.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Bolin easily returned the two earth discs Korra had sent his way and followed up with two more. Korra effortlessly dodged all but the last which hit her squarely in her midsection. Bolin whooped as Korra grimaced.

"Two all." Jinora announced, "Is it really alright to be doing this? Dad won't be too pleased if he feels like you're slacking off."

"Hey, you said it yourself, I did all the exercises perfectly! Besides, Mako and Bolin might be moving out, now's a good time to practice as any."

"I didn't say it was perfect. You're hardly an airbender with the way you moved, but you did clear the sessions quickly. We even did double what Dad asked." Jinora sighed, "But you're still only getting the physical—."

"You're moving out? Why? Is it because of the food? Do you not like us? Is it because Korra's always busy? Or because Asami only comes back at night?" Ikki demanded.

"Uh, no, we just like being able to stand-up on our own two feet." Bolin explained, "Well, at least that's what Mako said. I mean, it's amazing here, and we really enjoy being here but Mako… well, the arena's still closed anyway, so we won't be moving out anytime soon."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"So you see, by changing the cylinder arrangement, we could increase the engine output without putting any strain on the engine itself, making it more efficient. The shock absorber installed saves two pounds and gives better traction. The new and improved Satomobile."

Asami calmly finished her presentation. The stares of old folks bored into her. She recalled how her father always had her back when she used to present her designs to a board. He had always made sure she was ready, and while she hadn't needed any hand-holding then, she wondered if she had missed any detail now.

"That is all well and good, and none of us ever really doubted your engineering prowess…"

 _Oh really?_ Asami resisted the temptation to raise her eyebrow at the man who spoke and instead forced herself to exude the same cool confidence she usually held herself in.

"And it is all very interesting, but it doesn't tell us anything about the business perspective."

 _Here we go._

"I actually took in the costs and we'd be able to save about 10% of our cost production and earn an increased profit of 15% with the amount of sales our Satomobiles usually—."

"Miss Sato," The man drawled, "I'm sure you're aware that in the time following your father's exposure as a terrorist, nothing of Future Industries sales is usual. And unless you have a plan to reverse that, I'm afraid these meetings are pointless. Now if we're all in agreement of this, I think we should stop wasting our time. This meeting is adjourned."

"What?" Asami finally found her voice, "You can't do that. We need to—."

"With all due respect, Miss Sato, you may be an engineering prodigy but your father barely taught you about business. You're young, you're what? 18? 19?"

Asami didn't give him an answer, knowing that he was just trying to push her buttons.

"This world is full of sharks you cannot hope to battle. Until you're fully equipped and somehow miraculously change the public's opinion of Future Industries, and clear your name fully of any suspicion of ties to the Equalists, we will be looking towards our other ventures."

Asami's brows furrowed but she quickly schooled her face to appear neutral.

"Alright, I will consider your advice and seek ways to address Hiroshi Sato's deplorable mistake." Asami said coolly.

"Very well, Miss Sato. Otherwise, we may have to cut ties completely with a company that is a well-known Equalist supporter."

Asami seethed inwardly. _How dare they threaten me? I helped Korra fight my own father! My own father who… ugh. Dad, why did you even let this happen? Do you care nothing about this company? This company that was your dream along with Mom's. Mom..._

Asami frowned and sank into her seat, alone again with her thoughts. Asami shook herself out of it.

 _I'm going to fix this. I can't lose this company too._

She glanced out the window. She probably still had enough time for a drive before heading back to Air Temple Island.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"So, how'd today go?" Korra glanced at her boyfriend. _Boyfriend, I'd really have to get used to that._

"No luck still," Mako shook his head, "The arena might take a few more months before they open it up again."

"That's okay at least we get more time together." Korra smiled and kissed Mako.

"Yeah, I know. But I'd rather not overstay our welcome here."

"You're not. We love that you guys are here. I love that you guys are here."

Mako smiled gently at Korra, which she returned.

"Korra!" Tenzin's stern voice interrupting their moment made Korra wince. "Have you made any progress today?"

"I did the airbending practices. Jinora said all my forms were okay so we ended early. I even did more exercises than you said."

Tenzin nodded, "And what about your spiritual training? And the Avatar state?"

"I did everything you told me but I still can't enter the spiritual world."

Tenzin frowned, "Alright, we'll go through the midsection exercise again tomorrow. Before sunrise."

"Before sunrise? Tenzin I—."

"I know you have trouble waking up, Korra. But I have another Council meeting to attend to."

"Council meeting? Can I come?"

"I'm sorry, Korra, but not this time. Just let me handle this okay? We are considering your ideas."

Korra huffed in irritation as Tenzin walked away from them.

"So I take it they weren't pleased the first time?" Mako asked.

"No. I kind of blew up on them. I just can't understand. I laid out all our suggestions on the table as clearly as I could, but they still kept treating me like a kid! Treating us like kids! We were the ones who saved this city and they still won't listen! And Tenzin didn't even back me up!"

"I'm sure they took our ideas into consideration just as Tenzin said. They've probably got their hands full with putting Republic City back to normal. Tenzin was probably just trying to see all sides. Just because he—."

"I can't believe it! Are you actually siding with Tenzin?" Korra accused.

"What? No! I'm just trying to get some perspective on where they're coming from. And—."

"You are! How can you side with him and not me? I'm your girlfriend!"

"I'm not siding with him! I'm just trying to see it from their perspective, and maybe you should too! Then maybe you could actually get them to agree with you if you actually listened!"

Korra's eyes widened at this, then she glared at him, which he returned evenly.

"You know what, I'm going to go help Pema." Korra crossly stated, "Why don't you go over to Tenzin and help him meditate? You obviously prefer him more than me."

"It's not about you or Tenzin! Argh!" Mako threw his hands up in defeat then sighed as Korra marched away.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami shifted into gear. She tried to map out Republic City in her head. She realized how little she actually knew of her own hometown's layout. _Maybe it's time to fix that._

Asami took the first road that she knew she wasn't familiar with, her speed increasing rapidly. She realized soon that there were a lot of curves on the road. _Perfect, more time to get better at turning sharp corners._

Asami grinned as she successfully managed to make the really sharp turn. She'd make more adjustments to her calculations and her Satomobile later to make the turn even quicker with losing even less speed. She also noted that she'd probably a change of tires after this drive. But this… this was worth it.

Here, driving and drifting through the streets of Republic City. All she had was the present, everything else just disappears. There were no betrayals, no criminals, no board meetings, no press conferences, no Equalists, no hatred, no past, no future, nothing. All she had was the moment. It was exhilarating and freeing and relaxing all at once. Being behind the wheel, the sound of the engine her only companion, it always calmed her down, no matter the circumstances.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Korra, wait. Can we talk?" Mako jogged up to her. Korra sighed then turned to Mako.

Mako awkwardly stopped at an arm's length away from her, "I'm sorry for losing my cool earlier. I know you'll figure out some other way to help, and when you do, we'll be right there with you."

"I'm sorry too for blowing up earlier. I was just feeling frustrated. I wanted to help but…"

"I know." Mako smiled and Korra smiled gratefully back. He reached his arm out toward her. She welcomed his embrace. She felt his lips on her forehead and she looked up.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Their lips met this time and Korra couldn't stop herself from smiling.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami stopped in her tracks as saw the scene unfold in front of her: Mako was smiling fondly at Korra, his arm reaching out to embrace Korra. Asami felt that dull throb in her chest as she saw their faces inch closer to each other. She swiftly turned and decided to take another route.

It hurt. But she was happy for them. She only wished she could be happy too.

"Asami, hey!" Bolin greeted her with that big, goofy grin of his. She smiled back at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "So how was your day?"

Asami visibly flinched at the reminder, causing a look of worry cross Bolin's face.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bolin. I missed you guys today. It was tiring just talking to old people in suits." She did her best to smile at the earthbender. She didn't really want to bring him into the problems of Future Industries, there was nothing he could do to help anyway. She'd have to figure this all out on her own.

"Oh, yeah, me too! Missed you guys, I mean. Korra spent most of the day training, Mako went out today to look for more work since the arena might not open for a while, and you were being awesome business lady…"

 _I'm sorry, Bolin. I wasn't being an awesome business lady. As they so politely told me, I'm not a business lady at all to them. I'm sorry for not living up to your expectations, for being a disappointment._

"Oh, and Pema's prepared a feast!"

"What's the occasion?"

"She said that you deserved having someone celebrate your entry into the adult world." Bolin grinned at her. Asami was about to protest when another voice interrupted.

"Getting a job isn't easy, especially if it's being the CEO of one of Republic City's leading industries." Jinora smiled at Asami as she easily dodged her two siblings.

"Mom wants you to help setup the tables," Jinora instructed Meelo and Ikki.

"But!"

"Don't you want to celebrate with Asami?"

"Of course! Pretty lady, the pleasure's all mine." Meelo bowed.

"I don't—."

"Asami, just let Mom do this. Maybe it'll help break her in when I'm the one to grow up. Besides, we all want to celebrate with you."

"Did you knock their socks off? Did they think you're amazing? 'Cause you're amazing! I think you're amazing. Don't you Jinora? And really graceful and smart and—."

"She is, isn't she?" Korra's tone was playful as she and Mako joined them.

Asami swallowed when she saw the loving look shared between Mako and Korra when Ikki asked them where they came from. Then her eyes fell down to Korra's and Mako's intertwined hands. She found it didn't hurt the way her friends radiated happiness did. A cough brought her attention back up and Korra and Mako let go of each other, sending awkward glances her way.

 _There they go again. Don't look at me like that. I'm fine, really. It's not you guys, it's me. I want you two to be happy._

"We overheard talks about the Triads gearing up again." Korra said as she took a seat beside Asami.

"And here I thought they'd lay low for a while given everything that's happened." Mako irately huffed as he took sat on Bolin's side.

"So, what do you say team?" Korra asked, her eyes alight with excitement, "Another night of going out on the town?"

"Fighting the good fight? Of course." Asami smiled at Korra as Bolin whooped in agreement. _At least I'm able to do something here. Not like with those meetings and investors and... no, you'll figure that out Asami._

"Time to take crime down!"

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Shouldn't they have no leaders right now since I didn't give their bending back?" Korra asked.

"Someone probably took over the higher ups places. It's always been like that anyway, taking the opportunities where they can." Mako replied.

"Yup, new ones will always step up their game and pop out from nowhere!" Bolin agreed. "Although Lightning Bolt Zolt and Shady Shin were really there for the longest times."

"And now that they're gone, it's a free-for-all." Mako grimly said.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's kick some Triad butts!" Korra smacked her fist into her other hand. Asami sped up even faster, zigging and zagging around Republic City.

"Uh, is it just me, or is Asami getting even better at this?" Bolin asked when Asami perfectly drifted into another street as they heard the reports of Triad activity. They quickly followed the trail and ended up in a fight against a group of Monsoons.

That was when Korra realized that losing her bending still had an effect on her. Moments wherein she'd suddenly freeze, her arm in the middle of bending as thoughts about protecting her chi filled her head. Then, out of instinct, she'd shift and force airbending out, just like she had that day with Amon. And in her frenzy, she'd cause more damage than she thought, without really taking anyone down. Mako's brows had furrowed in concern, and she tried not to repeat it, but when she didn't airbend, gaps showed in her fighting form and it frustrated her. Mako noticed this and tried protecting her, which had further fueled her frustration with herself.

 _Shit._

"Look, just leave this Triad business to us. We're the police. It's our job." Lin declared.

"And I'm the Avatar!"

"And your job is to keep balance." Tenzin said soothingly, "We'll need you focusing on training right now. Just let Lin do her job. They'll keep an eye on the Triads."

"No. I know that the police department is lacking in manpower right now because of rounding up all those Equalists. We're going to make sure that the Triads stay away from the non-benders. They deserve to be protected too!"

"And they are. Look, just let us do our jobs. There are no buts about it. Stay out of our business."

"We know that you've been having trouble with your form, Korra. We'll do more training and once we figure out why, you can help out more."

"What? How did you… I'm not having trouble with my form!" Korra growled. "I'm the Avatar! I should be helping!"

 _Who in…_

"Mako." Korra growled. Mako turned around. "Did you tell Tenzin and Lin that I've been 'having trouble with my form'?"

"I just wanted to let him know! He's your airbending master and caretaker and after what happened when you lost your bending I don't want you to get hurt again."

"I can take of myself just fine!" Korra shouted. "We're still going after the Triads, no matter what they say."

"You shouldn't put your life in danger doing something that the police should be doing."

"The police are too busy cleaning up the Equalist mess, and you and I both know that the Triads won't let up so easily, you said so yourself. I'm not going to let them get away with hurting other people."

"You're just—."

"You're either in or out Mako. I thought you wanted to protect people? I want to protect them too." Korra declared. Mako deflated at this.

"Alright, but don't blame me for looking out for you." Mako said softly. "I just… you're important to me. I don't want to lose you."

Korra softened at this, "You won't. I'll figure this out. Besides, you guys are gonna be there with me anyway."

"Alright. But we partner up." Mako agreed reluctantly.

"Okay."

With each fight against the Triads, Korra could feel her mounting frustration at her inability to get over it. She knew that she was okay, that she was better than okay, but she'd just stop mid-way, as if thinking that she couldn't bend and instead she'd dodge an attack instead. There was also the issue of Mako's overprotectiveness.

 _I'm supposed to be the one protecting people._

On a routine patrol for the Triads messing around, they had encountered stray Equalists. Korra tried to earthbend but for a moment, Korra felt as if she couldn't move her chi around. It was only a moment, but it was enough for the chi blocker to move in closer. It was Asami's voice that jolted her awake.

"You shouldn't mess with the Avatar, or her friends."

Asami shocked the female Equalist with her glove before the chi blocker could even reach Korra. Asami quickly spun around and deflected another Equalist and counterattacked. Asami seemingly ignored the group to her side and focused on the three other Equalists coming up on her front. Korra felt as if Asami was relying on her to take care of those so the Avatar rose to the call, forgetting about losing her bending and just focusing on the quick and easy way Asami seemed to dispatch their opponents.

Those moments had quickly ended though. Mako had received a recommendation to join the police force and he immediately took the opportunity to join as a beat cop. Asami had started getting swamped with investors pulling out of Future Industries and Tenzin had insisted Korra focus solely on airbending, spiritual and Avatar state training. That was when news reached them that the Pro-bending arena would be re-opening soon. And Bolin was the only one who'd be able to join.

"Please Tenzin, we're a team." Korra asked. "I don't want to bail on them."

Tenzin sighed, "I know, but right now, you still have yet to master airbending. It's only at night that I can train you even more given that we have to setup all these election procedures for the upcoming presidential elections."

"Ugh! I haven't progressed a bit with spiritual training and I need this! Why can't you see that? You already stopped us from going around and rounding up the Triad members. What more do you want?"

Korra rushed away from him, barely missing a tired looking Mako just arrived from work.

"Korra, wait! What's wrong?"

"Tenzin just forbade me from joining pro-bending this season." Korra spat out.

"Uh, he did? Why?" Mako seemed uncomfortable but Korra was still too irritated to notice.

"It doesn't matter. I'm still joining anyway. It's not like he stopped me the last time."

"Hey, he just wants you to focus on your Avatar training." Mako tried to console her.

"You're siding with him again?" Korra demanded.

"Look, we both know that you're still having trouble with your form. I don't think pro-bending will help that." Mako tried to gently relay it to her. "Just try to take it easy for now."

"How can you tell? It helped me the last time I entered! Ugh, you won't listen anyway, forget it." Korra stomped away, trying to bury her feelings of incompetence.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Bolin, what brings you here?" Asami walked out of her office.

"Just checking up on our friendly sponsor." Bolin goofily grinned at Asami. Asami raised her eyebrow. "I know, I know. But hey, we've got new team members!"

"New team members? Why do you need new team members?"

"Uh, well, Mako made me team captain!" Bolin said energetically before sighing, "And he said he could only be a temp because of his beat cop duties. And Korra's really busy with training. She tried to convince Tenzin but he's determined to have her learn airbending as soon as possible. So I guess that kind of just leaves me."

Asami looked sympathetically at Bolin, "But you enjoy pro-bending right?"

"Yeah! The crowd, the cheers, the excitement!" Bolin nodded enthusiastically, "And hey, maybe I can do something on my own for a while. You'll come watch, right?"

Asami looked sadly at him and shook her head, "I'm sorry. I can't. I just came from… I'm still trying to figure this all out so I might not even stay on Air Temple Island anymore. The commute just takes too much time."

"Even just once?" Bolin pleaded. "You need time to relax too!"

Asami gave him a small smile, "Alright, I'll try."

"So, where do you want to go for lunch?" Bolin asked.

"Actually I already ate…"

"Miss Sato, I'm hurt." Bolin pouted, "Do you not want to spend some time with Bolin the amazing pro-bender?" Bolin's eyes widened in exaggerated shock, "For I know for a fact that you have not yet eaten and that lunches are not your thing and you're always cooped up in that office of yours. Now c'mon, you're the one I see the least. There's this really cool earth kingdom place that opened up. You'll love their tea! And I'm not going to stop pestering you until you go. You know I can convince Korra, and she's more stubborn than you or Mako!"

Asami sighed but gave him another small smile, "Alright, Mr. Bolin-the-amazing-pro-bender. Lead the way."

Asami felt lighter as Bolin chattered away about looking for new teammates and while they didn't look like much, he'd train them as hard as he could. She lost herself in his energy and bright disposition, allowing herself to free herself from the shackles of her father, of expectations and disappointments, of fear of failure and losing the things most important to her, at least for an hour.

* * *

 **A/N:** I wasn't sure if I wanted to include the yips. I actually got the idea from a new volleyball manga I was reading and I looked it up and it actually happens in real life and some consider it as a precursor to PTSD. It isn't as drastic as anything in Book 3/4, but I thought it could still go with the story since I do think that from the beginning, Korra does fall into a slump if she feels herself as a failure of an Avatar so I don't think getting the yips is too far off. I have never experienced it though, so I'm not too sure if I depicted it right, I tried to research it as best I could. It seemed like a really good springboard for some of the problems I wanted to tackle. I'm not entirely sold on it, but as I've got no other ideas, I think I'll just stick with it this time. I'm sorry. It's been taking too long and if I stay on this, I might end up not being able to finish anything.


	13. From Hero to Zero part 3

_**A/N:**_ Part 3 of what was supposedly a one-chapter thing. I hope I'm not too far off base with what's in this chapter. Somehow, its gotten into my head that Korra tends to subconsciously pay a little more attention to Asami, whether its to judge her, or to worry about her. I also think she understands the most to put "what's right" ahead of family (or anything else), so she might be most aware of how painful it _could_ be, but its still all theoretical. She won't actually realize how painful it truly is until later in Book 2 when she thinks its her Dad trying to kidnap her Uncle.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

 _Another failed meeting. More investors are pulling out and some of our workers have started leaving as well due to the scandal my father created. Due to his hatred._

Asami frowned, staring at the piece of paper in her hands. Another resignation, well, either way, if the investors keep pulling out like this, there was no way she'd be able to keep all the workers anyway. _With this, I'm really going to lose Future Industries._

That ache in her chest wouldn't go away as those thoughts swirled in her mind. She took a sip of her tea and closed her eyes, trying to feel its calming effects.

 _Just take it one step at a time, Asami. First, we need to find new investors. Perhaps I can create or upgrade something that Future Industries sells and convince them that it would be a great idea to invest in Future Industries. That's right. Just come up with something new and then find someone who will be interested in it._

 _Well, time to head out. I still have to check out the other warehouses and see what can be of use._

Flashes of light greeted her as she exited the building and she blinked in surprise.

"Miss Sato! With Future Industries nearing the red, can you take any more investors backing out?"

"They say one of your largest investors, has been eyeing to support Cabbage Corp instead due to your company supporting the Equalists and framing a poor competitor!"

"What are your sentiments about your father's upcoming trial?"

"Do you support anyone in their bid for presidency?"

"Do you agree with your father's ideals? Where will you take Future Industries now?"

Asami suddenly felt as if there was something constricting her windpipes, the world was starting to spin out of focus as the questions kept coming. _Of course, Chief Beifong had made sure that the press wouldn't bother with her ever since that first incident but given the upcoming elections, the police were probably busy with other things than babysitting. Breathe, Asami. You've done this before. You are not your father, and you have to show them that._

"I honestly have not been able to keep up with the events with my father as I am quite busy with changing Future Industries and making it once more into the image that my mother had for it: that it would help make people's lives better. The Equalists were simply replacing one cruelty with another, I have never and will never agree with that."

"So you don't care about the non-benders?"

"What about all the workers said to be leaving because of your partial treatment to benders?"

"People say you're only Team Avatar's poster girl to show that they're for the non-benders as well but you really have no role outside of that! What do you say to that?"

Suddenly something soaked her clothes. _Sticky._ She tried to calmly look at the direction the soda had come from.

"Death to the bending establishment! How can you betray your own group of people?"

"Your father was one of our greatest hope!"

"You're nothing but a monster!"

"How do we even know you're not an Equalist yourself?"

"Why should we ever trust Future Industries again? Why should we trust you?"

More clamored and the press devoured all these statements as Asami felt herself slipping.

" _These benders, they took away your mother, the love of my life. They've ruined the world! But with Amon we can fix it and build the perfect world together!"_

" _How dare you? I am avenging her death!"_

 _Why Dad? How could you let this happen? Future Industries… me. Why?_

Asami felt the tears stinging her eyes as she tried to remain strong in front of the crowd. _Is this not enough? I'm tired and… I don't know how to fix this, alright! I just know that they were wrong, but I can't fix it!_

Suddenly, she felt a strong gust of air and she shielded her eyes as the crowd in front of her was pushed back.

"I've had enough from you people. Asami Sato is way above you pal," Korra spat out. "She's on Team Avatar because she saw how wrong the Equalists were. When her father was discovered to be an Equalist, she was the one that took a stand and saved us. Without her, the Equalists would have taken this city, defeating Amon and Hiroshi would never have been possible. Without her, I wouldn't be here. Benders and non-benders, it doesn't matter. What matters is what you do with your capabilities. Asami Sato is amazing, beyond amazing, she's a fighter and an engineer, she's really smart and kind and forgiving and if anyone of you ever questions her allegiance to justice, you have me to answer to. She's better than any person I've ever met and she's stood by what she believes is right even when her own world was thrown into chaos because of those Equalists. She's very much a part of Team Avatar because she's excellent at what she does, and she'd probably kick all our asses, even mine, she actually has kicked my ass, that's how badass she is. I trust her with my life and I hope you all do the same. She wants the best for Republic City, as do I, and I believe that's what you all want as well. Asami Sato is the bravest person I've ever met. And if anyone ever dares to question her again, they'll meet my—."

Korra's voice rang loud and clear, filled with anger but Asami could feel the strong conviction in it as well, a belief in Asami.

 _At least one of us believes in me._

"Alright, break it up!" Lin Beifong's voice broke through the crowd before Korra could continue. Asami released the breath she had been holding. Lin gave Korra a stern glare then nodded to Asami who had thanked her.

"Korra, that was…" Asami breathed. She really was touched by the speech Korra just gave. Korra had shared similar sentiments in an earlier press conference, but this time it was all directed at her.

Korra rubbed her neck, and Asami knew Korra was embarrassed, "Yeah, I just overheard all that and it was really getting on my nerves and you're already having enough trouble as it is and I don't know how to help with those things. I guess I just wanted to help. I'm sorry, I think I interrupted your speech."

Asami shook her head, "No, thank you. I'm glad you came." Then her brow furrowed, "But weren't you supposed to have training today?"

"Yeah," Korra nodded with a frown, "I was able to convince Tenzin to bring me with him to meet the presidential candidates. It seems this guy named Raiko is the up and coming candidate, and get this, his wife's name is Buttercup! Seriously, who names their kid Buttercup?" Korra snorted, "And we were supposedly on our way back when we saw the crowd from Oogi. I got down using Tenzin's staff because I heard the shouts from up there and well…"

"Korra!" Tenzin glared at Korra before bowing politely at Asami, "Hello, Asami."

"Hello, Tenzin." Asami smiled. Korra had a pout on her face.

"You aren't supposed to use the gliders yet." Tenzin frowned, "I told you I'd bring us down, and you just jumped! Your impulsiveness will be the death of me."

"But the crowd was really getting bad!" Korra defended, "And Oogi was taking too much time. Just…"

"Well, you've done your part now, we still have to continue our meditation exercises."

Korra huffed then nodded. Tenzin turned again to Asami.

"Well, I hope you are doing well. Please join us for dinner later. We do appreciate having another level-headed person for dinner."

"Hey!" Korra grumbled but she also turned to Asami, "Yeah, you haven't been in a while. Meelo's starting to miss you."

Asami started to shake her head, "I still have a lot of work to do."

Korra looked like she wanted to say something more but then thought differently of it. Asami kept her gaze on Korra as Korra smiled, "Well, if you're sure. If you ever need a break from all that stress, you're always welcome there you know. Meelo won't stop pestering me about you." She grinned at Asami. Asami smiled back.

"Thanks, Korra."

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

With all their different responsibilities, Team Avatar were spending less and less time together. But Asami was the most elusive of them all. They had all offered to help Asami with Future Industries in any way they could but Bolin was the only one who was most available and sometimes, Korra felt like Asami didn't want to ask them for help.

But even if Asami couldn't make it to their group dinners, Korra was always sure to find the girl in the crowd during press conferences. Given that Mako was busy with being a beat-cop, and Bolin was trying to train the new Fire Ferrets, it would usually end up with just being Korra and her. And it was Asami that would offer advice and quick but calming words of encouragement before once again disappearing into the wormhole that was Future Industries.

It was during one of those press conferences about the Presidency when Korra and Asami met again.

"You don't seem like you enjoy being around the press much." Korra finally brought up what she had been noticing when she approached Asami. The raven-haired girl sighed, a frustrated but faraway look on her face.

"You're right, I don't. But I do want to be involved in this city. If only… to make-up for all my father did." Asami said.

"Hey, it's not your fault Asami." Korra said gently. "He made his choices. And you made yours. You helped save this city. Be proud of yourself, because I certainly am, we all are. And Bolin, Mako and I will always be here for you."

"Thanks Korra." Asami nodded, then glanced curiously at the Avatar.

"What?" Korra cocked her head.

"Nothing, I just noticed you haven't been attending as often as before."

Korra let out a huff, "Tell that to General Tenzin and Sergeant Mako. They've insisted that I focus on Avatar training and just leave all of this… to the politicians in charge."

Korra noticed Asami bite her lip in contemplation.

 _She really is amazing, even with all the crap she had to take, she still keeps the interests of the city in mind._

It had been a frustrating day for Korra, but she could feel equal, or even greater level of frustration from the girl in front of her now.

"Do you want to go for a drive?" Asami asked. Korra was surprised, it felt like Asami was doing nothing but work now. But there was a look in Asami's eyes, as if she was planning to do something dangerous, plus Korra's own frustration that made Korra agree almost immediately.

When Asami put them in gear, Korra gazed at Asami, watching the wind flip her hair back. Korra knew something was up with Asami but was unsure whether or not she should ask about it. So she did what she thought would help instead: aided Asami in giving them both a thrill, a way to release their pent up stress.

She earthbended ramp after ramp, getting higher and more dangerous than the last while Asami would drift sharply in corners as the Satomobile just seemed to keep increasing in speed. The two of them nearly tore through the streets with Asami's driving and Korra's earthbending. It was in no way healthy or safe, but Korra had found herself and Asami smirking with each dangerous turn and flip they made.

Suddenly, they heard a siren behind them and Korra groaned when she realized who was chasing after them: Mako.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Mako asked angrily.

"Just going for a drive." Korra defensively said. She knew there was no excuse for this behavior, but she really did need the stress relief. With Tenzin, and Mako breathing down her shoulder, she needed some form of way to release her frustrations.

"You were tearing through downtown like there's no tomorrow!"

"I placed the ramps back down okay!"

"Not before causing a bunch of vehicles to veer out of the way and avoid you all!"

"No one got hurt and the street is back to normal, what more do you want?"

When Mako had thrown her another, "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone this time." Korra turned on her heel, grabbed Asami who was leaning on the Satomobile and had angrily announced they were leaving.

Asami was calmer enough now, driving normally through the streets this time but any of Korra's cool and enjoyment had disappeared with their encounter with beat cop Mako. Asami shut off the engine and Korra realized they were at the Sato mansion.

"Come on, there's some sparring equipment inside." Asami said, getting out of the Satomobile. Korra stayed there for a moment, unsure if she should keep on taking up Asami's time.

"Come on, I can survive not working for one day. In fact, I think I need it." Asami called, as if reading Korra's mind. Korra then hopped out of the front seat and followed Asami inside.

"So, what's wrong?" Asami asked after she dodged a punch Korra threw at her. They had been sparring for quite a bit when Asami finally broke the silence.

"Nothing." Korra shrugged. This made Asami smirk, and before she knew it, Asami had her pinned down to the ground.

"And here I thought you already knew how I sparred."

"You've gotten better." Korra evenly replied, not being able to break out of Asami's hold.

"I'm not letting go until you tell me what's wrong." Asami grinned.

"There's nothing wrong!" Korra bit out. Asami blinked and slowly let Korra go. Korra looked guilty for a moment before getting defensive, ready for a fight with Asami. Instead, Asami sighed.

"I'm not trying to fight you, Korra. I just thought you'd need someone to listen to you." Asami finally said. Korra stared hard and long at Asami then finally eased up.

"I'm sorry. It's just… people are usually on my case." Korra rubbed her neck, "I didn't mean to shout at you. I…" She looked at Asami again, the other girl only showing openness and concern. Korra suddenly felt like she could tell her anything.

"It's okay, Korra." Asami reached out to the younger girl.

"It's just… Mako told Tenzin about me having trouble with my form. I mean, I'm not having trouble. It's just… I suddenly think that I still don't have my bending, or just have airbending and I mess up my form because of it."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami could see how frustrated Korra was feeling. She reached out to touch Korra on the shoulder.

"I… kind of noticed." Asami admitted, "I didn't know if you wanted to talk about it though. And I don't know if Tenzin or anyone else has encountered it, but it happens. Sometimes, after getting an injury, some have trouble doing a certain movement even when that injury heals. Like if you injured your ankle and you find yourself unable to jump even after the healer or doctor confirms that it's completely fine to do so. It has a lot to do with your mental state."

"It… happens?" Korra asked tentatively.

"I've seen it with martial artists who were at the prime of their career." Asami nodded, "And…"

 _Do I really want to admit this? What if it bothers Korra?_

"And?"

"I had a similar experience. Not the same, but I had trouble moving a certain way when I injured my arm before. If you want, I can teach you a few techniques that I was taught before to… confront the problem." Asami offered. Korra eagerly agreed.

"Is it… what happened? When you injured your arm?" Korra asked. Asami grimaced. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine!" She panicked. "I just… if you want to talk about it or something. And I guess I'm a bit curious. I never imagined it happening to you. I thought…"

Asami's gaze softened. _She probably thought it was just her. No wonder she's even more frustrated. She's the kind to push herself to do things after all._

"It's okay, Korra. It was a while back. I was up against a mugger that was a firebender and well, I froze for a moment. I had tried to tell myself to move, and get my body to follow. I ended up needlessly lashing out and injuring my arm in the process. I wasn't able to move the same in the months that followed, even when my arm healed, especially if I was confronted with that kind of firebending."

"But you've never seemed to have any problem with our firebending before." Korra said in surprise. "If we knew we…"

Asami shook her head, "I've gotten over it. It wasn't easy, but, I'm okay now. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to move the way I do." She smiled at Korra. _Spirits, I knew she'd be bothered by it._

"You're really, really, brave." Korra declared. Asami blinked. _What?_

"I think I've said it before, but it's just… you were able to overcome all those things. And here I am…"

"It's nothing, my father had only the best help me out. You'll be able to get over this too." Asami looked away, but Korra noticed the wince immediately.

"I wish he never hurt you." Korra blurted out, "I know you don't really like talking about him but… I wish he never hurt you. And you're brave and strong and I'm so grateful that you aren't trying to brush me aside. And thank you. For teaching me this and trusting me. And for being one hell of a driver and sparring partner. I mean, today was awesome! I really had fun with you."

"Thank you, too, Korra. This has been my favorite day so far. I mean, I love inventing and using things to help people. But Future Industries…" Asami sighed. "Nobody really believes a barely adult CEO would be able to turn this company around. A lot of people lost confidence in it ever since Dad was arrested for being an Equalist. They're worried I might turn out the same."

"What? Even those old geezers in suits are idiots? You're the most amazing person I've ever met and you saved the world right beside us! Having to deal with them and the press… they really are blind."

"That's just how some people are, Korra." Asami shrugged, "It is hard to believe in me. I'm young, I was thrust into this position, my Dad's an Equalist and I really have no idea what I'm doing. So many workers left, for reasons tied with the Equalists: some don't want to work in a company that supported the Equalists, and some don't want to work with me because I fought against Amon."

"That's just not fair. I am going to have a serious talk with those people."

"Its fine, Korra. I'll figure it out." Asami gently put her hand on Korra's arm.

"And I'm your friend. I want to help."

"You can't just change their minds by punching some sense into them, as much as I'd like to as well." Asami said wryly. "If even just so that they'd look at me not just as Hiroshi's daughter. But if I beat them up, they'd end up just leaving Future Industries for sure."

Korra sighed, "If it makes you feel better, I feel just as incompetent. If it's not the non-benders telling me I took away their chance at Equality, it's the press making me feel like I haven't done enough, or its Mako and Tenzin saying not to mess with the City's affairs right now or do any butt saving. How the hell am I being the Avatar if I can't even do right by those non-benders we left in Triad hands? I just… I feel like they feel like they can't rely on me. I did beat Amon, why can't they trust me more?"

Asami giggled, "You sound like a cute baby by that end."

Korra pouted, "I am not a baby."

"Hey, I did say you were cute." Asami winked, "Still a baby though."

Korra stuck her tongue out. Asami laughed at Korra's childish display and Korra grinned back.

"I guess the best we can do is do better at whatever they ask us to do." Asami finally said, "I have to learn business, and you master airbending."

"Yeah, you'll get better at business things and I'll kick ass with airbending! And this spiritual training. But for now, can I not go back to the real world yet where they won't let me do anything I should be doing?"

"How about another round of sparring?"

In the end, both of them were lying on the mat, breathing heavily.

"This has been the most fun day so far." Korra announced, "Thank you Asami."

"Thank you, too, Avatar Korra." Asami teased.

"Man, I'd kind of forgotten how it was to not have any overprotective person on your ass. No Tenzin, no Mako… Man, he's been one super overprotective boyfriend."

"Yeah… Mako has his faults." A sad tone echoed throughout the room.

Korra blinked at this.

"It's getting dark." Asami looked outside.

"Oh yeah. I should probably head back to Air Temple Island now." Korra looked out as well. "This has been great. We should do it again sometime." She smiled that usual grin of hers and Asami felt lighter at this.

"Of course." Asami felt herself smile back. It was surprising how easily Korra made her feel better without even trying.

"Thanks, Asami. And seriously, if there's anything we can help you with, don't ever hesitate to ask. You should come over for dinner tonight. Pema's been asking about you."

"I can't. I have to finish up more papers at work. I'll just squeeze in these last few moments of freedom before heading back into the office." Asami said apologetically.

"Then we just have to do this girl bonding again." Korra grinned.


	14. Out of the Woods

**A/N:** Taylor Swift's Out of the Woods Grammy Museum version inspired this chapter (I really like this version over her commercial one). Taylor's opening speech (plus the lyrics) there seemed like a good way to describe Makorra. And other things (Asami's problems with FI for one). ( watch?v=hHN0ca6lf1c)

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

 _He grimly stood in front of his brother, making sure that if anyone tried to attack, he'd be able to protect his younger sibling._

 _Its kill or be killed._

 _Mako threw a burst of fire at the muggers, surprising them. He agilely dodged one guy's attack and threw a large flame at their feet, giving them an opening. He knew he couldn't take them all on while protecting Bolin. And if it was one thing he was sure of, it was to make sure that he would never lose his brother._

" _Run!"_

"Look, I know you really want to help. And I'm sure Tenzin sees that too. But..."

"I'm doing better already. Why can't you see that? I just overdid it a bit." Korra shrugged at Mako's concerned expression. She was starting to hate that look on his face. It used to make her feel so loved and cared for, but now…

"You just had trouble with that waterbender earlier!"

"That was one! Fine, I slipped once. But look, it hasn't happened since."

"You shouldn't even be fighting Triads in the first place."

Korra's face darkened, "I should be doing what's right. And I wasn't going to just let them get away with it. I didn't even go looking for them this time! We were having dinner! And you had that same look! We both know that we shouldn't have let them get away."

Mako looked guiltily away, "Look, Tenzin said he's going to focus more on you once all the issues about the President has been cleared up right? You should just focus on…"

"You're siding with Tenzin again!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt!"

"I'm the Avatar. Deal with it!"

 _They finally had a place to stay, a place they could call home. Relief coursed through Mako. He knew what was required to survive, but just like Bolin, he never truly liked that life. He didn't like cheating other people, but it had been necessary, and he knew he'd do it again if he had to. But he preferred this honest way of living. He knew this wasn't the endgame, but for once, things really seemed to be looking up._

"Hey," Korra greeted. Mako looked up from the newspaper photo he had been holding. "That's the first time you two won in the arena, right?"

She gestured to his hands.

"Yeah." Mako smiled fondly, "Bolin insisted on keeping it."

"You're a big softie." Korra teased. Mako frowned.

"No, I'm not."

Korra laughed, making Mako scowl further. "I was just teasing. I love that you care. You protected him and survived a lot of things, you're a great brother."

Korra could try and understand, she tried to imagine it, the fight or die situation that Mako and Bolin had found themselves in. She knew that what Mako and Bolin had done had been necessary, and she would never judge them for all the things they had did. In some way, she even admired them. They had come so far in their lives and had only each other to rely on. She on the other hand, had always been cared and provided for. She seldom had friends, and her parents were rarely with her, and it was lonely as the Avatar, but she had been comfortable. Mako was a survivor, it was obvious in the way he held himself. To do what they did though… Korra shook her head at the thought, she couldn't say she'd do the same. She never did think any differently of them though, they were here friends and they had been there when the going got tough. She snuggled into Mako, glad that through all their hardships, they had met each other.

"Thanks." Mako mumbled, visibly relaxing. "Come here. I care a lot about you too, you know?"

"I know. I love you."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

 _He watched in horror as his older brother got knocked down._

 _I have to do something! I need to protect Mako!_

 _Bolin focused and copied a stance he had seen Mako do. Nothing. The waterbender was nearing Mako, Bolin's instincts kicked in. He rushed to shield his brother, and closed his eyes as he tried to stand between Mako and the Red Monsoon member. When Bolin felt nothing, he peeked a bit and then gaped at the large earthen wall before him. Mako was panting by his side, the waterbender unconscious._

 _Mako turned to him, a weak but proud smile on his lips, "Good job Bo—"_

" _Mako!" Bolin caught him as Mako fell over, panic once again rushing him._

"Those were the scariest moments of my life." Bolin sniffled, "But we're here now. And we're doing great! We helped the city, the Avatar, we're doing some good at last." He grinned.

Asami nodded, "You're right. We're changing the lives of so many people. And our lives have changed as well."

"Yeah, I'm glad you hit Mako, and I'm glad I ran into Korra and I'm glad that all four of us became friends."

Asami smiled at this. "How are they?"

"Oh, same old. Arguments, dates, the whole she-bang, you've seen them. I guess that's what Korra was looking for all this time, someone who challenges her." Bolin shrugged, "Well, with Tenzin having to take care of the election stuff, Korra's been slacking off more than usual. She still can't pro-bend though." He sighed. "There was this one time, with Meelo, that…"

" _Dad?"_

 _She entered her father's study. She hadn't seen him since the funeral. He had only instructed that she would learn to protect herself, saying that he would not make the same mistake with her._

 _She poked his sleeping form._

" _Dad?" she said louder. Hiroshi raised his head in surprise and wildly looked around, his eyes finally resting on her. He visibly relaxed at this but then a weariness seemed to take over._

" _Oh Asami, what is it you need?"_

" _Will you read me Aang's story? I can't sleep." She held the book up for him to see, biting her lip in nervousness. He had been really busy since… well, since that night. There was a flash of_ _something_ _in his eyes before he sighed._

" _I'm sorry my dear, I have to finish a project. I'll call San and have him read it to you."_

 _Moments later, their butler appeared and escorted Asami out of the study. Before they reached the door, she turned to her father, a forlorn look on her face as Hiroshi didn't even glance up to look at her._

Asami massaged her temple. She had to look for more pathways, more partners, more… anything. She needed to turn this around. She sighed, the small happiness she felt when she and Bolin had lunch was fleeting and would immediately disappear as soon as she left the restaurant. But she had looked forward to those just the same. Now though… _I might need to forego those and take business trips outside of Republic City. Do we still have funds for that?_

"Asami?" Bolin called out to her, "Um, I think you're supposed to go into the building?"

Asami looked up and realized that they had reached Future Industries' main office. She looked apologetically at Bolin. "I'm really sorry. Work has been…"

"It's not a problem. I made you smile today, I think that's what's important." Bolin grinned, "Right?"

Asami chuckled at this, "Yes, I enjoyed lunch. Thank you Bolin."

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

 _She concentrated on her form, the strange men in blue robes were watching her closely. She ungracefully waterbended at them. One man calmly deflected it._

 _Korra frowned, "I want to see my parents."_

 _The younger ones looked uneasily at each other._

 _The man who had waterbended her own water shook his head. He was older than the rest. "You must focus on your Avatar training now."_

" _Is it because of the strange man in monk's robes?" Korra asked, "They should be scared of the Avatar."_

" _You are still an Avatar-in-training. You must understand and master all the elements, along with your Avatar State."_

 _Kora pouted then threw a series of earth, water and fire bending techniques she had seen the others do. "See? Mastered!"_

 _The man massaged his forehead as the others seemed to chuckle. Korra's frown deepened. "Avatar Korra, you have a very important role: you must learn to keep the balance of the world. And you must take your training seriously. Come now, we must train."_

" _Is that man who was teaching me sword techniques back?" Korra asked. The man seemed to frown at this._

" _Did you not see… no. You will see Master Katara at a later time. We must have you examined." The man seemed troubled at this piece of information but Korra ignored it._

" _Master Katara's here?" Korra asked excitedly. Out of all of them, it was Master Katara that she had fun with the most. They said that the old waterbending master was her predecessor's love._

" _I am afraid not. We will focus on other waterbending techniques while she has yet to come back. We will head to the shore."_

" _Can I go back home after this?" Korra asked._

" _I apologize Avatar Korra, you will not leave this place. Your masters will come here and train with you until you are a fully-realized Avatar. Distractions will be kept at a minimum."_

Korra threw a blast of air as Tenzin walked away from her before sighing. He was right though, she'd only be a bother with Lin and the others with how she was right now. The… slips now were fewer and far between, but they could mean life and death out there. Korra closed her eyes, recalling how Noatak had nearly taken away everything from her.

Korra heard his footsteps before she saw him. She barely spared him a glance as she started to practice her forms again. _If I can't fight, and I can't get into the Spirit World, at least I'll master airbending._

She grew irritated at his incessant shuffling. She tried not to look at him, he was in his uniform as usual, and it reminded her too much of what he was doing out there and what she wasn't doing. She did enjoy hearing about his adventures as a beat cop though.

"Did Tenzin tell you to find me?"

"Not really, we're just worried—."

"Stop worrying about me, I can handle myself."

"I know that. And you're amazing. But…" Mako looked unsure.

"But?" She prodded, wanting him to speak his mind already.

"I… I should've been there for you."

 _Oh, the rally._

Korra frowned, "First Tenzin, and now, you? I was fine. Asami was there and we took care of the Equalists that had infiltrated the rally along with Tenzin."

"I heard that Tenzin had to…"

"It was nothing, alright? You two are just too worried about me. I was fine! And they were going about, hurting people in the process. I couldn't just let them be. I'm the Avatar, I'll always be in danger. And I have to get strong, I can't do that by just sitting around and meditating."

"Look, I know nothing about training the Avatar, but Tenzin does and I think you should listen to him and… he'll help you get over whatever this is."

"How can I be the Avatar if I can't do what I'm supposed to do?" Korra growled. "Ugh, just leave me alone Mako. You just don't get it."

"Of course I don't get it. How will I get it if you won't even talk to me?" Mako asked in frustration.

"I tried, and you sided with Tenzin, okay? Just like you're siding with him now!"

"I'm not siding with him! I'm trying to understand…"

"You're not even listening! So just leave me alone!"

She stalked off towards the women's dorms.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami could hear the loud voices as she approached the exit. She had just returned to get the last of her things from the island, she had a feeling she wouldn't be returning for a while. The voices grew louder as she grew nearer.

"So just leave me alone!" Korra's angry voice made Asami wonder what the problem was. As she turned the corner, she felt herself bump into a large, dark mass.

"Watch it!" Korra snarled, obviously not in the mood to talk to anyone, she just kept on moving away.

"Korra?" Asami asked tentatively. She knew they hadn't talked lately, but she felt like she wanted to be there for the younger girl, even if it was just for tonight.

Korra whirled around at the sound of Asami's voice.

"What are you doing here?" Korra's tone was obviously hostile. Asami winced at this, but a mask of indifference quickly hid that small reaction.

"I apologize, I was only getting something I had forgotten in the room that I had stayed in. I didn't know I was unwelcome here." Asami said slightly on edge.

 _Had I done something wrong? I'm always doing something wrong after all,_ Asami bitterly thought to herself.

Korra seemed to relent at this, "Your techniques, they aren't working."

Asami was confused for a moment before realizing what Korra meant, "What do you mean?"

"I still have lapses."

"But have they lessened?"

"Well, yes. But they aren't gone yet!"

"It took me more than half a year before any progress showed with me." Asami said, "The fact that you're moving this fast is a feat. I'm sure our circumstances are different, but given your progress… They always told me that I had to overcome my problem on my own, that those were just methods that would help me. It wouldn't actually solve the problem, but it helps. You've let your frustration help you instead of hinder you, right? Look, I know it's frustrating. But it's the best I can do. I cannot help you any more than that. I'm sorry."

Korra was surprised at Asami's apology. She rubbed her neck then sighed, "Its okay. I'm sorry for blowing up. I just want to fix this."

"I know." Asami said sympathetically. "Don't worry, you will. How is your training?"

"Airbending is doing okay, I guess. Tenzin says I'm doing it wrong but I'm airbending just fine. I can do his exercises and stuff, and I finish in record time. Spiritual training though…" Korra's face darkened. "I still am a spiritual failure."

"Don't say that."

"I still can't get into the Spirit World. I'm trying all I can." Korra sighed.

"I don't know anything about the Spirit World, so I don't think I can help you there."

Korra shook her head, "It's not your problem. You've already helped plenty. What about you? You've been pretty busy the past few weeks… Well, I guess we all have been. But you've got me beat. Guess I better measure up, huh?" She finished with that lopsided grin of hers. Asami couldn't help but smile back.

 _Right, aside from press conferences, we haven't exactly seen each other._

"Oh. Well, I'm just making new plans." Asami said, "I might be out of the city for a bit because I have to meet with potential investors in the Fire Nation."

"Oh, okay. Well, good luck with that. If… you ever need help or something, I could probably set you up to stay at the palace or something if that will make it easier." Korra suggested.

"Actually, I already have a place to stay." Asami replied.

"Oh. Well, okay. Whatever you need, just ask okay? And thanks, again. I'm sorry for blowing up. I know I'm not easy to put up with."

"No. I like that in you." Asami replied. Korra raised her eyebrow.

"You like me being a hot-head?"

"I mean your honesty." Asami said, "It's refreshing. And I know you're only being honest, even if you're sometimes tactless about it, and at times misinformed as well." She teased. "But it's something I really appreciate."

"Thanks? I guess." Korra shrugged. "Anyway, I have to go. I still have to wake up way early tomorrow. More meditation sessions. I hate mornings." She groaned.

"I have to return to work as well." Asami nodded.

 _A nearly empty boardroom awaits. And papers, more papers to read._

"Asami? What are you doing here?" Asami looked up from her papers and saw Mako with a frustrated look on his face.

 _Oh, so it was Mako she was arguing with._

"I just had to get some things." She said, "Are you and Korra, okay?"

"Yeah, just…" Mako sighed, "I just can't understand her."

"Well, maybe you should try a different approach." Asami suggested, "She did seem to calm down when we talked earlier."

"You talked?"

"Yeah, she was really pissed but she calmed down after a bit. I'm sure she's just feeling frustrated with herself."

Mako nodded, "Thanks."

Asami smiled, "Watch out for each other."

"I am."

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Korra!"

Korra laughed as strong arms enveloped her and lifted her from the ground.

"Hey Bo, you've obviously been training well."

"Of course. Gotta take care of this body. Wait, where's Mako?"

"I don't know. Ask Sharkbrows."

"You guys had another fight?" Bolin looked at her worriedly.

"Not really." Korra shrugged, "Okay, maybe. Yes."

"Was it about helping with the Triads?"

"Did he tell you about it?"

"Uh, I guess? We live under the same roof, and I'm his brother. He used to do that all the time with me, wanted to protect me from stuff."

"I don't need protecting." Korra huffed.

"I know. And he knows that too. But he just worries a lot. Just give him time." Bolin said. "Come on, we can do some practice before the new members get here."

Korra nodded, "Yeah, you did say I had to teach my replacement so I could use a warm-up. I hope you upped your game."

Bolin grinned, "Who do you think I am? I'm the best at this."

Korra grinned, glad to have some fun again, she was really grateful for Bolin and she showed that by drenching him in a bucket load of water.

"Hey!"

Korra laughed.

"Oh it is so on." Bolin looked at her challengingly.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami's eyes widened at the sound of the voice on the other end of the line.

"But… we have new plans! The biplanes will—."

"I'm sorry, Miss Sato. My decision is final. I have tried to stay for as long as I could. The Satomobiles were revolutionary after all. But given with the state things are… no matter how innovative your ideas may be, I cannot be part of a failing business."

The phone died on the other end, Asami felt as if there was a huge weight on her lungs, making it so painful to breathe. No one wanted to buy from Future Industries, and that was her last investor… what was she going to do now? She looked around and felt as if the whole room was suffocating her.

 _Breathe, Asami. Think. You're good at thinking. You still have the Fire Nation, and the Earth Kingdom to look at. The Water Tribes might also be interested in some form or other of your inventions. It's not a complete lost cause. Focus on your task at hand now._

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Why did you tell Tenzin about my plan?"

"He asked me! I wasn't going to lie to him."

"You didn't have to tell him either!"

"That's as good as lying!"

"I trusted you!"

"Look, I just wanted him to talk some sense into you. You going off to fight Triads was a bad idea. He knew that, which is why he didn't allow you."

"But the only way I'll know if I'm okay now is if I fight!" Korra growled before turning around and heading towards the opposite side of the island.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"Are you my warden or something? Do I have to report everything I do to you?" Korra said before calling out to Naga and leaving him behind. She needed to get away from him. And they had just the perfect date too, now it was all ruined. She needed a swim.

* * *

 _Are we out of the woods yet?_


	15. Six months

_**(Asami)**_

It's been six months. Six months since she had found out about her father, six months since Amon had been defeated, six months since Team Avatar had been together for real, six months since she had been swamped in paperwork and interviews. Six months since she had become the head of a falling empire.

It never mattered if her work was better than their competitors, it never mattered how innovative her ideas were or how great every test drive went. All that mattered was that she was the daughter of a convicted criminal, the daughter of a non-bender who joined the Equalists.

She grimaced, remembering the backlash of her father's trial. According to the papers following his trial, he had adamantly defended his ideals and cursed the bending society, he had even used Amon's deception as a point for non-benders to rally around, another bender using non-benders for his own means. She had avoided going, but she decided to see for herself what kind of man he had become, if he truly had let himself been covered by hatred. That had set the press on fire. Korra had staunchly stood up for her. While Asami had appreciated it, knowing Korra always meant well, but she also knew that it had only been fanning the flames. Tact had never been Korra's strong point after all. Even Tenzin was shaking his head in disbelief at Korra's impulsive act. But Asami had also seen the small but proud smile on the ex-councilor's face.

True enough, the next morning's newspapers had all been "Avatar defends daughter of convicted terrorist". Korra had nearly burnt a stand to a crisp if Bolin hadn't gone after her. Asami had then received an emergency call from Bolin since Korra wasn't listening to anyone and wanted to give the newspaper companies a piece of her mind. Asami had been torn between feeling pleased, amused or exasperated at Korra's strong stand on Asami's issues.

Korra had later explained that it was because she knew what it was to have to choose between what was right, and the people important to her. She knew how hard it was, and could imagine how painful it had been for Asami, and that the press had no right to judge Asami.

Asami sighed. _Focus, stop thinking about your father and the press. You have a billion things to do, you still have yet to find a new investor._

Any meetings she had been able to set-up in the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation had ended up in failure. Most often, they were of the opinion that they didn't need Satomobiles or biplanes, but there were also those that had simply stated that they could not associate with a known terrorist supporter, even if Asami Sato was not her father, the image remained the same in the general public's eyes, and they knew that their business would suffer.

Asami sighed again, was there really no other way?

Right now, she was looking through the paperwork and determining which warehouses she had already had shut down in order to cut costs and what would be sustainable with the amount of sales they were making. So far, it was not looking so well.

An envelope fell to the floor as she shifted the papers on her table. She picked it up and realized that it was one of the memos Korra had left for her. _Right, the Glacier Spirits Festival. It's not like I can go out and celebrate while this company is failing._

She hadn't spent time with any of them in a long while. There were the occasional sightings during press conferences or such, but nothing like the last time Korra and her had went out to town. Her lunch outs with Bolin had ceased as well. She had completely buried herself in her work that even Bolin couldn't drag her out of it. Well, they all did have different responsibilities now anyway, Mako was on the police force, Bolin was now captain of the Fire Ferrets, Korra was of course completing her training as the Avatar, and Asami, well, she'd been trying to save a burning building. Which, so far, had been proven fruitless.

Focusing on an objective and trying to reach that objective was the only thing on Asami's mind, especially after her father's trial. She had worked tirelessly and spent countless of hours tinkering on Satomobiles and biplanes, making them better and better. But of course, no matter what she did, the sales never did improve. How could she save a sinking ship? They—Bolin, Mako and Korra—had offered her assistance but it had been more of her forcing herself to find a solution on her own. She didn't want to bother them. After all, they all had their own problems. With Korra's being the greatest of all. She was the Avatar. She was in charge of the balance of the world, it was a heavy responsibility indeed.

Asami glanced back at the papers on her desk. She should finish at least half of these by lunch. She really needed to find a new business partner.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Avatar Korra is here." Asami's butler announced. Korra noticed the surprised look Asami had when the older girl looked up from the papers she was studying.

"Oh, hey, Korra. Sorry. I'm a little busy right now. But did you need anything?" Asami asked, barely sparing a glance at the Avatar before returning to her work.

"I know you have a lot of work to do. I just wanted to invite you to come to the South with us. The Glacier Spirits Festival is coming up and Tenzin and his family, Mako and Bolin are coming. It's gonna be fun." Korra said with a grin. She had been trying to get a hold of Asami for the past few weeks, but with Tenzin saying Korra needed to focus on her training and let Raiko handle the city, and Asami busy trying to rebuild her company, they rarely had a chance to talk. She had asked Bolin to talk to Asami but Asami had said she was busy. Not to be deterred, especially after learning about Asami's unhealthy work habits, she was determined to bring the _heiress-that-you-should-never-mess-with_ to the South.

"Oh. Yeah. I got your memo about that." Asami said guiltily. "I'm sorry but I don't think I can come. Ever since… well, you know the company is in my hands now and I need to find an investor for Future Industries soon or it's going to go under."

"Go under?" Korra asked. "What kind of investor?"

"Well, investors are pulling back funding and people don't want to buy Satomobiles anymore after what happened with… the Equalists and Dad. But you knew that already. We're currently in danger of filing for bankruptcy. If I don't find someone who can give me money to help bail this company out, I'm going to lose everything."

Korra's eyebrows furrowed. "So, you just need someone with a lot of money?"

"In a manner of speaking. So, I'm sorry. I can't come with you—"

Korra brightened upon hearing this, an idea had popped up in her head.

"Well why didn't you say so before? I know someone who might just become your business partner!" Korra excitedly cut her off. "You know of Varrick Global Industries?"

"Of course, they're the company that dominates the global shipping." Asami frowned, not quite understanding Korra's train of thought. She hadn't been able to get ahold of the man herself. He was often traveling the world or doing something or other. "They're headed by an eccentric genius called Varrick."

Korra nodded enthusiastically, "And Varrick's part of the Southern Water Tribe! He's always come to the Glacial Spirits Festival. Town meetings happen in my parents' house usually and he's always coming up with some crazy idea for the festival. You can request a meeting with him and enjoy the Festival at the same time!"

Asami's eyes lit up at this. "You can actually get me a meeting with him? I haven't gotten ahold of him in months! I heard he has been open to partnerships with people all over and was hoping I could convince him to invest in Future Industries."

"I'm just going to ask Dad to contact him but you have to work out all the details."

"That's fine." Asami said enthusiastically, "That's more than fine. You are amazing. It's just what I needed."

Korra grinned, "I may not understand much of this business stuff of yours, but I'm glad I can help with this."

Asami laughed, and it warmed Korra's heart to hear the young businesswoman lighten up. "Thanks, Korra."

"So. You'll be coming with us down south? We'll be leaving in a week."

"Sounds perfect." Asami smiled. Korra excitedly whooped and Asami laughed at Korra's child-like excitement.

"It'll be fun!" Korra grinned before leaving Asami's office in a whirlwind.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Hey." Asami approached the downtrodden Avatar. It had been awhile since she had seen Korra at one of these press conferences. Tenzin and Raiko seemed to be discussing something as the rest of the media had dispersed.

"Asami!"Korra greeted with a wide smile. "Thank the Spirits. Help me get out of here?"

"What? Why?"

"Tenzin. Please?"

It was those eyes that pleaded with her, looking for an escape, just like she was.

"Alright, let's go."Asami nodded.

"So, want to tell me what that was all about?" Asami asked as she shifted lanes and gears.

"Tenzin's still been on my case since we got back from the South. Remember the last time we went driving? He's still telling me that I haven't mastered airbending, saying that I should continue to train it. I have trained it! I can fight as well with it as with my other bending forms. And aside from that, he told me that the new President would handle all the affairs regarding the benders and non-benders. That I should just focus on my airbending, spiritual and Avatar training. Well, nothing he does is helping me get into the Spirit World! Sometimes I wonder if it's me or it's him. Ever since we came back from the South, it feels like he's holding me back!" Korra huffed, "He keeps on telling me to let Raiko handle it, to let him handle it, to let whoever handle it! As if he can't rely on me! I'm the Avatar! And it's as if he doesn't trust me!"

Asami remembered their last decent talk in her mansion so long ago. They had both been feeling incompetent and frustrated with everything. _I guess they still haven't changed her mind about her. Just like they haven't changed their mind about me._ Asami decided not to point out that Tenzin probably had valid reasons for his actions. Everyone had been worried about Korra especially after she had been so broken after losing her bending. None of them wanted it to happen to her again. And it was this exact treatment that had led to Korra's feeling that they didn't believe in her, they didn't trust her, and that she was simply being held back. She also knew about Korra's lapses, they had even talked about it, but also heard from Bolin that Korra was back to fighting form. She understood where the others were coming from, but she also knew that what they were trying to do wasn't helping Korra at all.

"Remember those techniques you said? They worked! And I'm completely fine now. I feel like a real Avatar and all. Except for Tenzin. Ugh. I don't know. Maybe he's the block I'm having which is why I can't get into the Spirit World. I mean, he was never really the one that helped me unlock airbending, and I'm not able to get into the Spirit World under his tutelage either." Korra grumbled, "I just wish they'd believe in me a bit more."

To a certain degree, Asami could relate to the Avatar. And she knew that Korra was simply feeling frustrated at not being able to do anything. She remembered how pumped up they had all been to rebuild everything after that debacle with the Equalists. They had been trying to spout ideas to remove the imbalance between the benders and non-benders. When the President had been elected, Korra had immediately brought up their ideas. Apparently, even if she was the Avatar, he didn't find the ideas appealing.

"Well, maybe you should let them handle it. We could just skip out of town, leave everyone behind and just let everything fall apart." Asami said lightly. She was mostly joking, but some part of her did want to just leave everything behind. To forget everything that the past year held. But that other part didn't want to lose Future Industries, her last connection to her family. Korra seemed to be processing her words but slowly, what had been initially anger, which had turned to confusion was now becoming a full-on grin.

"A vacation sounds perfect."

"Perfect, hm?" Asami laughed, remembering her own words just a few days ago. Korra also chuckled, also realizing that she had repeated Asami's words. "Good thing we're going to the south then." Asami smiled.

"With Tenzin. And after that, we're going to all those airbending temples." Korra frowned at the thought. For a minute, Asami wanted to blurt out how much she wanted to go with them, but then she remembered her company and how she still had to talk to Varrick. And after that, she still had to take care of the company, make sure it would go back to smooth sailing, at least, for a while.

"At least you'll get to see your favorite festival." Asami smiled, remembering the first memo she had gotten, "You've never missed one, right?"

"Yeah! We'll have lots of fun!" Korra grinned, both at the memory of the festival and the fact that Asami had taken the time to read it.

"I still have to meet with Varrick." Asami reminded her. Korra groaned.

"Right. But you have to make sure to go, even for a day."

"Of course, Korra." Asami smiled.

"Well then, I'll see you tomorrow!" Korra asked.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami let out a sigh. She had been going over and over on the proposal she was offering to Varrick. She wanted it to be perfect, something he saw as lucrative and an opportunity, something he would never say no to. She hoped that the Equalist mess hadn't reached his ears, and that he wouldn't see her as someone too young to be a CEO.

 _Well, he was pretty much your age when he became a CEO as well. Maybe he'd understand. He's only a few years older than me after all._

She made another perusal before finally placing it back on her desk on the ship and sighing. She slowly stood up, stretching in the process.

 _I should go out and get some air._

As she walked down the hall, she saw a familiar figure on the other side.

"Asami! You're out of your room!" Bolin said excitedly. Asami laughed.

"You make it sound like I was under some rock for the longest time."

"You pretty much were." Bolin pointedly said, "You've hardly been out with us! I know I hang around you sometimes but it's different when it's the four of us! Although Mako and Korra are off spending some alone time."

Asami put a hand on his shoulder when he let out a sigh.

"Why don't we go out to the deck? I need some fresh air." Asami offered.

"Yeah, yeah." Bolin nodded, "Pabu would like that too, wouldn't you Pabu? And don't worry, we'll steer clear of Meelo this time."

Pabu seemed to happily agree to this.

"How are the Fire Ferrets?" Asami asked. Bolin frowned at this. _Was it a bad topic?_

"Well, we got into the record books!" Bolin cheerfully said.

 _Guess not._

"Really? That's great!" Asami smiled. "What for?"

"For… the fastest knockout in pro-bending history." Bolin sighed. "The bell rang and we all fell out of the ring."

"I'm so sorry Bolin." _You should be paying more attention to their matches._

"Nah. It's cool. Mako has his police work and Korra's doing Avatar training." Bolin shrugged, "I'm the only one left to do pro-bending. And I'm not even really good at it on my own. Maybe I'm not meant for pro-bending."

"What are you talking about? You're great at pro-bending!" Asami declared, "Maybe you need to just work on your teamwork more."

"Yeah, maybe you're right…" Bolin sighed. "I don't know… I just wish I could find something I could do on my own. Korra's the Avatar, you have Future Industries and Mako's a great cop. I've got nothing for me."

"You don't have nothing, Bolin. You are a great pro-bender, but if you don't think it's for you, I'm sure you'll find something." Asami replied, "You are pretty talented, you just don't know what you want to do yet."

"Thanks, Asami. So what have you been doing?" Bolin asked, "We didn't see you at dinner either."

"Oh, just preparing for my meeting with Varrick." Asami explained. "I'm kind of nervous about the whole thing."

"Oh! Oh yeah, Korra mentioned that."

"Korra mentioned it…?"

"Uh-huh. She said you were going to visit some businessman or something for a deal." Bolin nodded. "So. What are you supposed to do?"

"Just get him to invest in Future Industries. With everyone pulling out, Dad's—my—company isn't doing too well."

"You'll do great Asami!" Bolin cheered, "That Varrick guy will have nothing on you."

"Thank you Bolin."

 _I do really need this deal. It's my last chance at saving Future Industries. And I am_ _ **not**_ _going to lose this company. Mom believed in Dad's dreams, and he made it with her help. I am not going to let this go to waste. I don't want to lose this too, Mom. You, Dad, Mako… I just… I want something to be right for once._

"Asami?"

"Huh? I'm sorry, Bolin, I must still be a bit tired from all the preparations." Asami smiled at Bolin apologetically.

"No, its fine. I was just asking you if you wanted me to come with you. Since you seem so nervous about it and all. I know I don't know anything about business but hey, you'll need all the support you can get, right?"

Asami's eyes lit up at his idea. "Yes, of course. That would be so helpful, Bolin. I mean, if it's alright with you?"

"Of course it's alright!" Bolin declared, "It's the least I could do as your friend."

"You are the best Bolin. Thank you so much."

Bolin grinned at her words. "Hey, hey, no problem right? What are friends for?"

She hugged him there and then, wanting to show him how appreciative she was of his presence.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Was that Asami?" Korra asked as she approached Bolin. As she saw long, black hair disappear into the hallways below.

"Korra!" Bolin said in surprise. "I thought you were with Mako?"

Korra crossed her arms, "I was until he started siding with Tenzin again."

"Oh. Uh, well, I'm going with Asami tomorrow with her meeting with Varrick. So you guys will have some more time together then."

"You are? That's good. How is she? She mentioned that this would be a pretty big deal."

"She said she's pretty nervous." Bolin said. "But no worries! Bolin is here! She'll be fine in my hands."

Korra laughed, "Of course. Hey, make sure she spends time at the Glacier Spirits Festival, okay?"

"Sure thing!" Bolin saluted.

"So, I heard what happened during the first round of pro-bending."

"It was the worst opening in all of pro-bending history!" Bolin said, "I tried to motivate them and all but they really weren't that hyped at all! Even after all the training we did."

"Well, there's always next year." Korra patted him.

"I know. I just miss pro-bending with you and Mako." Bolin sighed.

"Yeah, me too." Korra admitted. "But Tenzin is still convinced I'm not giving airbending enough time. And we're going to the Air Temples after the Festival and all. I really am not looking forward to a vacation with him. It doesn't even feel like a vacation if it's with him. Ugh."

"Yeah, I get it." Bolin said sadly, "It just feels like I'm getting left behind y'know?"

"We're not leaving you behind." Korra declared, "You're one of my best friends you know. Who else would I race eating those seaweed noodles with? Speaking of food, I remember Pema saying that there was still some dessert left, what do you say to pie? I could do with some food right now."

"Pie?" Bolin's eyes widened with excitement, "Count me in!"

Pabu jumped up on Bolin's shoulder, chattering with excitement.

"Looks like Pabu wants some too." Korra grinned. "But we have to avoid bumping into Tenzin. I do not want another one of his talks about our itinerary for after the Glacier Spirits Festival."

"You got it. Operation sneakily get pie and avoid Tenzin is under way!" Bolin saluted and Korra laughed.

"First one to get it gets the larger part!" Korra said before dashing out ahead.

"Hey, no fair!"

Korra grinned as Bolin happily chased after her. She could always count on him if she wanted to have a good time.


	16. Chapter 16

_**(Asami)**_

"Asami, wait!" Mako ran after the raven-haired beauty. Asami stopped in front of her Satomobile and turned around. "Can we talk first?"

"About what, Mako?" Asami said in annoyance. "You said you broke up. And it's obviously not as clear cut as you painted it."

"She lost her memories about that. And I…"

"I know. I was there. I heard. But why didn't you just tell her the truth? Do you still want to be with her?"

"No! I mean…I don't know. I care about her, and I care about you. And she looked so happy. I just… I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Well, you're doing a perfectly great job at that." Asami snapped. Then took a slow, steadying breath. "Look, I know that… what we were doing wasn't exactly the best decision. We both knew that. But, if you're just going to do to her, what you did with me when we first dated… You're just going to end up hurting everyone. Tell her the truth. But this… us. It's over. I couldn't even trust you. And you can't be honest when it comes to your feelings."

Mako nodded, a troubled look was still on his face. "I'm sorry, Asami."

"I am too." Asami said sadly, then got into her car and drove away. He had been there for her at her lowest point. He had believed in her and helped her as much as he could. But at the moment he didn't tell Korra the truth, Asami knew she could never pursue a relationship with him again. He was a good friend, someone you could rely on in troubled times. And that was what had drawn her to him in the first place. He was calm, cool, smart, in control and reliable. But her doubt, no matter how badly she wanted to believe in him, and his lack of conviction with his own emotions were made pretty much apparent when his innocence was proven.

She should probably be feeling a bit more hurt. The fact that Mako had chickened out of telling Korra the truth had irritated her. And when Korra had kissed Mako… unease settled in her belly. She wasn't denying she had felt a _twinge_ of jealousy. But it didn't hurt as much as it did the first time, at least when she thought about Mako. Perhaps it was because she knew that what they were doing, wasn't exactly the best course of action. She frowned at herself.

What _had_ gotten into her?

She thought her feelings _had_ been genuine, back in that warehouse. Or maybe she had wanted them to be genuine. Because in those few moments, she hadn't felt so alone anymore. _Someone_ — _Mako_ —had believed in her. After all those months trying and failing to get Future Industries back on track, someone trusted in her capabilities and was actively being there for her, helping her every step of the way. And at the moment that she believed she had lost everything—any chance at all to get the company back on its feet, he had sworn belief in her, that he wouldn't give up on her. It was just… words she really needed.

But that was also the moment that had brought about her greatest doubt. Evidence had been found against him, and once more, she had been thrown into turmoil about who and what to trust. And once again, her world came crashing down.

And then, when Korra had kissed Mako in front of all of them… there was that feeling in the pit of her stomach again. Like her stomach was in knots. But when she and Mako had talked to each other, it was no longer there.

Asami sighed. She needed some time alone. There was nothing to do with the company right now. She needed a break before they headed for the South again. Get things into perspective. With Mako, Korra, Varrick and Future Industries. If only to figure out the unease she had whenever she thought At least, there was something she would be doing that was more productive than saving her company. They'd be saving the world, yet again.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra felt as if she was missing something, with the glances Mako and Bolin kept sharing. But she would ask them about it later. Right now, they had to figure out how to stop her Uncle. She hoped talking to Varrick would provide them with some leverage with Raiko. She needed to stop Unalaq from releasing Vaatu, the whole world was in danger. She really couldn't understand why Raiko wouldn't give her back-up, the whole world was in danger if Vaatu escaped. No one would be able to stop the darkness even if they had all the protection here in Republic City. _Ugh,_ _we really could never get along._

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

She focused once more on her surroundings and realized that she had brought herself to the warehouses near the pier leading to Air Temple Island. She could see the island from here. It looked beautiful with the sun's glow. Asami decided to park the car and hopped out, leaning against her Satomobile.

As she watched the waves crash against the island, Asami's thoughts wandered to Future Industries. With Varric out of the picture, it was in her full control once again. But that merely meant the same thing as before. She was _tired._ So very tired. She was practically an orphan, and had been handed the future of a large company that was on the brink of destruction at a very young age. She wasn't _ready_. She had nearly lost the only thing of her family she had left, and she had had no idea what to do. There was no one to tell her: that's a brilliant idea, Asami! _Or to say you're amazing. Except for Korra. But even her appearances are sporadic._ She needed to make something, or race or tinker. But racing right now… She sighed for the millionth time and looked at her baby. Working on the vehicle had always helped her think things through. She grabbed the tool set that she always had in her Satomobile.

Varrick had set up her company back in the black, but she was almost positive that after that scandalous affair of attempting to kidnap the President, Future Industries' relation with Varrick would lead to more bad publicity. She could already imagine the headlines: "Future Industries in cahoots once more with terrorists".

She _hated_ feeling so helpless. It was like her life had been unravelling since the day her father had joined the Equalists. She hated him now too. How could he leave her behind? How could he do this to her? How could he…

"Ow!" Asami muttered angrily when she unconsciously banged on the wrench. She apologized to her car. A flash of those concerned blue eyes, Asami blinked and they were gone. Another sigh. She had been making so many mistakes recently. Varrick, Mako, Team Avatar… If the Asami from before could see her now… she'd probably disown her, laugh at her too. But right now she felt like a lost little girl not knowing what to do. No more ideas were coming to her, and she just…

Asami shouted in pain again as her elbow connected with another piece. Even her car wasn't cooperating with her.

"Asami?"

Asami nearly jumped in surprise but thankfully, she didn't. She eased herself out of her position.

"Bolin, hey." Asami greeted, wiping the grime from her hands. "How did you know I was here?"

"I could see you from the ferry." Bolin shrugged. "Korra suggested we meet at the ship tonight, after taking care of all the stuff. Guess you wanted to see your stuff, huh?"

"Stuff?" Asami blinked.

"On the ship. Your stolen Future Industries equipment? That is why you're here early right?"

"Actually… I haven't packed." Asami admitted, "I just needed to clear my head."

"Oh… Oh! Yeah, that mess with Varrick huh."

 _Varrick, Future Industries, Mako, Korra… everything._

Asami nodded, then said dryly "I guess I'm back to square one."

"What are you talking about? Team Avatar's finally back together again, and we're going to save the world! Then after that, we're going to save Future Industries too!" Bolin pumped, "I mean… ah, I know nothing about running a company, but whatever you need, we'd help you. Maybe I could promote Future Industries. After all, I _am_ a mover star! And Korra's the Avatar! I'm sure she could say something about how the mecha suits helped the Southern Water Tribe defend themselves against the Northern invaders or something. Or try something new. Varrick always said trying something new always seemed to be good for the masses. Something about reinventing something old?"

Bolin did have a point. She didn't have to focus on the Satomobiles and the biplanes. Although Satomobiles had been the company's bread and butter before…

"Thanks, Bolin." Asami smiled at him. "Maybe I can come up with an idea on our way to the South."

"Maybe those airships? I know the Equalists airships your dad made were pretty much wrecked, but they seemed way cooler than what the police airships have. Maybe you can do something like that? And maybe you can sell it to the other nations too."

Asami's eyes lit up in excitement. _Airships! Of course! Any nation would need that, especially if they want to travel in different areas. Why hadn't I thought of that?_

"You're brilliant, Bo!" She hugged him in excitement and he laughed.

"Wait? I am?"

Asami nodded her head. Ideas were already pouring into her head. She wasn't as familiar with airships as she was with Satomobiles, but she'd build on it. She needed more experience and information about air though… She glanced at Bolin again, who was curiously looking at her. She tried to calm herself down.

She was truly grateful for him. He was honest and sincere and had been there for her during the great turmoil in her life. Korra and Mako had been there too, but that was…

 _What was it? Awkward._

But then she remembered the times she and Korra bumped into each other at press conferences, without Mako. Or when she and Mako had worked on that sting operation.

 _It wasn't awkward then. Well, maybe you never really got over Mako, and felt jealous about the two of them being so happy_ _ **together**_ _, while your life was slowly falling apart. When Mako and Korra were together, it had really felt awkward and painful at first. But spending time with them separately had been more… comfortable and fun. Now that I think about it, it felt more fun with Korra around. Although it's most probably because Korra always challenged her, in a good way. Like how fast she could go, or who'd get to the press conference first._

Asami nearly grinned at that memory. Korra had won by a second, but nearly crashed into the audience. Raiko had berated her for that as soon as he could. A lot of Asami's new ideas would usually pop up after bumping into Korra like that. It wasn't that Mako wasn't fun. He had been the more awkward between the new couple, but the two of them were still able to talk to each other. He had always been… steady and dependable and she had always admired that in him. And Korra had always been… the one to dive right in, who challenged her, who grinned at her as if she was the greatest thing in the world during those rare times Asami took her for a spin in her Satomobile.

"Uh? Asami? Are you alright?" Bolin waved his hand in front of her face. Asami blinked and realized that she had spaced out for quite a while. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear as she regained her composure.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I just… I'm glad we're friends Bolin." Asami smiled. She truly was, if he wasn't there for her, she would have probably lost it. He was a really supportive person and even if he didn't always say or do the right things, you knew his heart was in the right place. Again, another thing he and Korra had in common.

"Me too! And I'm glad Team Avatar is finally back together. I mean, I know how awkward it was between you-Korra-and-Mako. I mean, my brother's a jerk for that, did he ever apologize? I know Korra did and it was pretty cool how she asked for your permission and everything and…"

"Bolin!" Asami laughed, "You and Korra really do sound alike sometimes. And I'm glad too that Team Avatar's back together."

"Bolin! Asami!"

Asami turned to find Korra excitedly waving at them. Mako was just getting off of Naga. Asami still felt that uneasy feeling when Mako wrapped an arm around Korra. Asami glared at Mako and Mako looked guiltily away. Korra seemed oblivious and ran to them.

"I see we're all ready to go." Korra smiled, "Now all we have to—"

"I actually have to go back to my apartment." Asami admitted, "I had to fix my Satomobile first and well, lost track of time because Bolin had some great ideas about Future Industries. Actually, Korra, I wanted to ask you about…"

"Tenzin will get here any minute." Mako reminded them. "You should get to your apartment for your things, Asami. I can help—"

Asami shook her head, "I can take care of it myself. I'll see you later."

Korra frowned then brightened. "Why don't we all go? So then you can ask me whatever you wanted. Besides, it's been awhile since the four of us have been together."

Asami thought for a moment then agreed.

"Alright! Let's go!" Bolin hopped into the back, Korra took a seat in the front. "Mako, c'mon!"

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Woohoo! Battleship!" Bolin whooped as he jumped onto the Zhu Li. Then stopped and turned to face the others. "Uh. Who's going to drive?"

Kya, Bumi and Tenzin looked at each other in panicked realization. Then Bumi frowned as his siblings turned to him.

"I thought Asami would do that." Korra said as if it was the most natural thing in the world. _Well, it was. Given Asami's background, I bet she could drive anything. She really is amazing._

"Yeah, bro." Mako agreed, "Her skills aren't limited to driving a Satomobile, you know."

"Oh! I knew that!" Bolin said quickly. Kora and Mako grinned at each other and Asami laughed.

"I know the basics. Varrick would have probably made his own modifications but I think I can figure that out." Asami nodded.

"So cars, motorcycles, biplanes, and battleships. Don't tell me you plan to learn how to pilot an airship or a train next?" Korra joked.

"Maybe I already know." Asami teased.

"We should get going." Tenzin cut in. Korra nodded, not noticing the curious looks Mako was sending Asami and her.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

From her vantage point, she could see Mako approaching Korra on the stern of the ship. After a few moments, Korra turned to Mako and buried herself in his chest. There was that uneasy feeling again. She glanced at the charts, there was still a ways to go before they reached the south.

She looked down at the drawing pad beside the charts. It had some of her sketches for the airships. She wanted to apply the aerodynamics she used in their Satomobiles to speed them up and apply them to the airships of Future Industries to come up with a sleek design that offered speed and stability. Asami had an already vast knowledge about the science behind the airships, but she needed all the information she could get if she wanted to make the best out there. She had seen Korra's airbending practice once, and knew that it was similar to some of her own self-defense classes but at the same time, it was different. She wanted to know if any of the techniques Korra used could be applied to the airship. After all, bending made sure to use the least amount of moves in order to produce an efficient result, plus, for her, aesthetically more pleasing than non-bending fights. Something that she wanted the airship to do and portray. Korra's bending in particular was different from those in the city. While she had incorporated moves similar to Mako's and Bolin's in fights, her style of bending was still more graceful and powerful instead of simply being quick and small but sharp.

 _Perhaps, it is because her bending is more similar to the styles of old? When they didn't have to worry about small spaces and destroying property…_

Korra had been very helpful and answered all Asami's questions. She glanced back down, having flipped in pages absentmindedly, it had landed on her drawings of Korra's different bending forms, mostly airbending. Korra had readily agreed to help Asami in any way she could, and had shown her the forms earlier.

 _Korra really is beautiful._

Asami's fingers ran over her sketch of Korra, tracing the contours of her face and body. The way her lips subtly curved up in playful excitement, and yet her eyes seemed so focused, the way her legs firmly followed through on her movement, the ripples of her abdomen, slightly visible through the cloth as she bended, the way her hands flowed like air, and the flex of her arms.

 _Arms… Arms that had been wrapped around Mako just moments ago._

The way Mako's arms had tightly held onto Korra, the compassion on his face, how Korra buried herself into his chest, the uncertainty in her eyes, the way her firm arms had snaked around his body.

 _He doesn't deserve you._

Asami blinked at the unconscious thought and frowned at herself.

Was she mad at Mako? Jealous of Korra and Mako? Was she even supposed to be thinking about this knowing that they were going to face an army of waterbenders soon, as well as knowing her company was still in uncertain waters?

 _Yes. You have to. It's better to clear yourself up now so you won't do anything stupid later. Something that might affect the mission at hand._

Mako was… a great guy. He wasn't perfect, but neither was she. And she really wasn't mad at him. Irritated at his actions _(or rather, inaction)_ , maybe, but not mad.

 _I really should apologize to Korra. But that news shouldn't come from me first. I just hope he's honest with her before she gets hurt more. She deserves that much._

It had been both their mistakes. She had been feeling so helpless and alone, like a lost child, not knowing what to do or who to turn to and was on the brink of giving up, and he believed in her. Like a knight in shining armor he came running, unconditionally supporting her, giving her exactly what she needed at that moment. She knew it wasn't exactly right, but it had been comfortable, familiar and safe _._ At least there was still something she could hold on to. That was something she hadn't felt in a while.

Asami smiled at herself derisively, _how weak. You've been making mistakes left and right. You should start taking control of your life._

Being with Mako had been… Asami tried to place a word on her relationship with Mako, _comfortable? Easy? Effortless._ She finally decided on that, although it really was hard to sum it all up in just one word. They had fallen into their roles so naturally, the ideal boyfriend and the ideal girlfriend. He had been sweet and strong and protective. And he didn't find himself intimidated by the fact that she could drive like a speed demon. In fact, all three of them had been quite impressed. _Unlike most people she had the limited chance of knowing before._ They had also connected over the fact that they had both lost parents at a young age.

But Mako wasn't one to share. His past, his experiences, his inner feelings. At least, not very often. She couldn't blame him, she opened up in her own time too. They both preferred wading through their emotions and problems on their own, well, she didn't want to be a bother and he… he had gotten used to not relying on people. But when a piece of information that could affect their relationship was withheld, that was something else. Trust and honesty was a sore point for her. Asami knew how far dishonesty could go. But at least, Mako was simply in denial, compared to… _Let's not go there._

She thought about the moments she had recently shared with Mako. The sting operation, the following days they saw each other. The kiss at the warehouse. It _felt_ like those feelings were real, at least in the moment. Her feelings after hadn't been so… riveting. Maybe unconsciously, she had known since the night after that kiss, that's why she hadn't felt the same the first time around. She had initially chalked it off to guilt and the other mix of emotions she had been going through as the reason for her not feeling that same exhilaration or happiness as before. But what if she had just _wanted_ it to be real? Because he cared, because he was safe, because he was familiar, because he had been there when she had needed it.

She cared for him. That was for sure. He was a great friend, and someone she'd always know to rely on. She still cared and will always care for him. _Just not in the romantic sense, I guess._

But it still didn't sit well with her that Mako still hadn't told Korra the truth. Korra was important to her, and she didn't want the younger teen to get hurt the same way she had.

 _Teen._ Asami laughed at the term. It didn't feel like they were teenagers. Asami had a failing company to run and Korra was off trying to solve the world's problems left and right. Maybe that's why she felt some sort of connection with Korra. Asami knew that her troubles were nothing compared to maintaining the balance of both the physical and spiritual worlds, but many people still depended on Future Industries for their jobs. It was… taxing. _But you don't give up. And neither does she. And that inspires you._

Korra was an important part of her life. It was strange, thinking that way of Korra. They weren't exactly the best of friends and the times they spent outside of Team Avatar were few and far between. But in a way, she had always thought of Korra as someone she wanted in her life. She had kept trying to win Korra's friendship even when Korra had animosity screaming out of her. She also looked up to Korra. She wasn't the best person with regards to dealing with people, but there were moments when she knew exactly what to do.

Korra had a significant impact on her life ever since she appeared in Asami's life, even if they hadn't spent a lot of time hanging out. _Maybe it really is time to remedy that hanging out part._

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** I thought about having something before this chapter about Korra and Asami and their dads (Korra's thought she was fighting her dad with the Unalaq kidnapping) but I couldn't make it a chapter long, so I junked it. If I ever am able to write it up in the future, I'll add it in.

I'm done with Book 2 chapters, I think. I've written 2 more chapters after this for Book 2. So far, I haven't thought of any additional moments. I have only random moments in Book 3 (I have a general idea about what I want to write about) but I'm going to focus on finishing Tales of Zestiria first before really starting on Book 3.

Anyway, hope this chapter's alright.


	17. Introspection

_**(Korra)**_

Korra sat at the edge of the cliff, her gaze flitting towards the glow of the Spirit Portal. She breathed deeply. The Council of Elders were currently in discussion with her cousins and her father about the future of the Northern and Southern Water Tribes.

And now, she had lost all of her connection to her past lives. She had been meditating here, but she really couldn't reach them, there was nothing there. Not even the whispers that had haunted her before. They were gone, she was alone. She shook her head, trying not to think about her failure to initially protect Raava, her thoughts drifted.

 _Mako._

She played those memories over and over again in her head. She was seldom one for introspection but given her previous meditative state, and the recent opening of the Spirit Portals, now was probably as good as time as any.

She remembered how supportive he had been the first week they had gotten back from the South after getting her bending back. He had been there after every airbending training session, had been beside her during the press conference about the Equalists (along with Bolin and Asami) and had provided words of comfort and encouragement when the non-benders had started hurling insults and negative criticism.

She remembered their arguments. There was one after Lin and Tenzin had told her about her form lapses. It had been brought about by the fear of losing her bending, and Mako's overprotectiveness. She kept accusing him of taking a side, of taking Lin and Tenzin's side. In retrospect, she knew he was simply trying to keep her safe. But that wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want anyone coming to save her. After all, wasn't she supposed to be the one saving the world?

There were countless other fights between the couple, so much more than the good times. The good times _were_ good though, dinner at Narook's, being able to mess with the Triads again, having fun hanging out after her training and his work. Those were all treasured memories.

But… both of them were both stubborn and full of pride. Sometimes they were so alike, it hurt being in the same place. Neither of them backed down in a fight even when they knew they were wrong. Or sometimes, they didn't stop to think they were wrong. Well, she _would_ back down if he would admit that he was wrong.

"Are you okay?"

A voice broke Korra's rumination of the past half year. She whipped around in a defensive stance but immediately relaxed when she realized it was Jinora. She returned to her lotus position on the cliff and motioned for Jinora to join her.

"I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Korra said when Jinora was within her view.

"Every time you come to cliffs you're troubled. Gran-gran mentioned as much." Jinora explained. Neither of them mentioned that Katara had said it when Korra had lost her bending. "Is it about the Spirit Portal?"

"No, so far the spirit portal hasn't been a problem. There aren't any dark spirits or anything."

Jinora nodded, "We should still watch out for spirits like Koh. They may not be evil, but they aren't good either."

"You're right. I… hadn't really thought about that." Korra deflated, "Did I do the right thing keeping them open?"

"I… I don't know Korra." Jinora looked apologetic, "I enjoy being with the spirits and I appreciate this. They do too. But I remember Grandpa Aang's stories that not all of them must be trusted. But for now, I think this is good."

Korra nodded, "I hope it stays like this. It just felt right, to have the spirits with us again. But I guess I needed someone else's opinion. Thanks Jinora."

"How are you feeling? I know you… lost your connection to your past lives. I could feel you when we were in the Spirit world."

"You could feel me?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but that's how I knew you needed help. It must have been hard."

Korra took a deep breath. _I don't really want to burden anyone else with this. How much of a failure I feel like._ "I'm fine. It feels… lonely, but I'll get through this."

Jinora seemed doubtful of Korra but nodded, "Have you made-up with Mako?"

While Korra was grateful that Jinora didn't push the topic, she was surprised at Jinora's change of direction. _When did I tell her we weren't okay?_

"You mentioned that you and Mako had fought before you left Republic City to look for us." Jinora clarified, "You even mentioned that you kicked his table. You said something about it earlier."

"Oh. Right." Korra remembered she had commented that when they got back from the Tree of Time and Jinora had asked about it. Korra had inadvertently mumbled about those memories. "I guess… no. Well, sort of. We're… okay, but we broke up. I mean, it was totally mutual of course."

Jinora cocked her head, "I see. Are you okay?"

"How come you don't seem surprised?" Korra seemed puzzled.

"The whole of Air Temple Island could hear you whenever you fought." Jinora shrugged, "It was so often too. Though I could say opposites attract."

"Opposites attract?" Korra thought about that, "I think we're too similar to be opposites."

"I guess that's true. You're both stubborn and hot-headed when your pride is on the line. Your fights also seem to revolve around the same things. You have differences, and similarities, but… you were not often on the same page."

"You really are observant." Korra muttered. Jinora didn't seem to hear as she continued to speak.

"I don't think you appreciated him being overprotective in the same way you didn't like the way my Dad and even Chief Beifong seemed to be protecting you."

"And my dad." Korra sighed. Then, for some reason, she felt like talking. As if saying things would help her sort through whatever it was she was feeling. "You know… I thought it would be amazing and full of passion and love and… I don't know. I thought it would feel better than all of this. It… hurts, I guess. It was a lot of happiness and anger and frustration all at once. I… I thought it would last. Some happy ending."

"It doesn't seem romantic novels are the best basis for happily ever afters." Jinora commented.

"Yeah… We really did fight more often than not. We make-up after, but the same things happen over and over again that it seems we never really let go of something. Like how he told the President about my plan to ask for General Iroh's help. Why couldn't he have talked to me about it first if he was so against it?"

"You weren't exactly calm on that subject. Would you have listened to him if he did talk to you about it?"

"Yes! Of course!"

Jinora raised her eyebrow at Korra.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I _would_ have listened!"

"Korra, when have you and Mako not agreed on something and talked about it amicably?"

"All the time." Korra declared, then she relented, "Fine, not all the time. But I do listen."

"I'm just saying maybe Mako's decision to tell the President was because he believed you wouldn't listen to him. That was wrong, he _should_ have talked to you first. But I think you should understand why he did that. When have either of you backed down from a fight?"

"I…" Korra sighed, "You're right, I probably wouldn't have listened. Unalaq was doing something that was wrong, I couldn't simply stand by and watch! But Mako was right about Varrick… I should have listened to him on that."

"Maybe it's because ever since you got together, you feel like he's being antagonistic to you instead of helping you. He is trying to help you in his own way, but I don't think the way he helps you is what you need." Jinora said slowly. "At least not when you look at him as a boyfriend. I think your issues as a couple sometimes affect how you interact when it comes to other things as well."

"All those novels teach you those things too?" Korra raised her eyebrow.

"Gran-gran has a lot of stories about her and Grandpa Aang." Jinora said quietly, "And about Grandpa Sokka too. You can learn a lot from them."

"You really are mature for your age, though." Korra grinned. Jinora blushed at this compliment.

"Thanks. So… what do you think is going to happen? With Mako?"

"I don't know. It's officially ended though. I know he did what he thought was best. But we just work on different views too much and I guess that didn't help our relationship. I just… I don't know. I love him, and I know he loves me but it just felt like one problem after another. And it sucks. It feels… weird. It's not this heart-wrenching pain like I thought it would be. I just… he's my first relationship and I feel sad that we didn't last. A part of me wishes we could, but I know that if we stay together we'll probably end up hating each other's guts. And I don't' want that. He's a good friend, reliable and smart. And I really care about him. But I guess… some part of me is relieved it's all over? He'll always be special, he was my first relationship after all. I mean, is it weird? That I'm sort of relieved? That it isn't so painful?"

"I don't know. I doubt I can help you there. Perhaps, Asami would have more background?" Jinora shook her head.

"What? I can't ask her that! I mean, even I know that's weird!"

"Why don't you just talk to her?" Jinora suggested, "It'll take your mind off things. Plus, she seems lonely."

"Lonely?" Korra looked worriedly at the younger girl, "Is she okay? Did something happen?"

"I don't know." Jinora shook her head, "She just seemed troubled."

 _Her company._ "Ugh. Varrick! Of course! I was the one who suggested that and now… ugh, I'm really stupid. I probably got her in more trouble!"

Korra noticed the hesitation on Jinora's face, even if it was for a short period.

"What is it, Jinora?"

"Nothing. You should take her penguin sledding."

"Shouldn't I offer her something more productive?"

"Well, you could talk to your dad about completing the deal with Future Industries and the South. But I think she also needs a break from all that business stuff."

"We tried that before and she still buried herself in work." Korra remembered the first two month after the Equalists. They had been effectively split up but had tried going out to dinner at least once a week. Korra had tried to avoid throwing her relationship with Mako in Asami's face. She knew how that felt like.

"Maybe you should try harder. You were pretty impressed with her from the start, right? I think you'd enjoy her company."

"What? Where did you get that idea?"

"You did call her elegant and beautiful. And you trusted her without a doubt even when you found out about her Dad." Jinora pointed out. Korra paused at that.

"I guess that's true." Korra awkwardly laughed, "She was so beyond me that I was so sure I couldn't win against her. And I felt… inadequate. But then, she took me for a ride in a car and I don't know. She was really amazing and it was actually something we could bond over. And…"

 _That night when we confirmed her father was an Equalist. That raw loneliness. Just like back when I still lived in the compound._

"What is it?"

"You're right, I should've tried harder with her." Korra admitted, "I was just… I didn't want to put Mako and me together in her face all the time. I know how that is. And Bolin spent free time with her. Although he said that she was mostly swamped with work. We tried to offer help but we didn't really know what to do either. I really wanted to help though, it was partly my fault she was in that position. I mean, it _was_ her dad's choice and all but… I don't know. Well, it's not like I would've been able to help anyway, what with your Dad telling me I had to keep on training."

"I think Asami's the type to problem solve by herself. And she'll try to do it on her own until she's backed into a corner. Similar to how you don't like showing your weakness, I think she doesn't like hers being known as well. Nobody really does initially. But I think you should let her know how you feel about helping. If you're really looking for ways to help her, why don't you help her build relationships with the other nations? But for now, I think she'd appreciate something which doesn't remind her of work."

"Right. I would want to make-up for that Varrick fiasco. I was the one who suggested him after all."

Korra whistled for Naga and the polar bear dog came running.

"Come on." Korra called to Jinora, "You're going to come get Meelo and Ikki. It'll be more fun with you guys. I'll try and get Bolin and Mako to come."

"Are you sure that's okay? You and Mako just broke up."

"Why wouldn't it be okay? We were friends before. And it'd be weird not to invite him if I invite Bolin. I'm fine with having him around." Korra shrugged.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami saw Korra walking toward her from the palace. The determined gait Korra had planted a seed of fear in Asami.

"I've been looking all over for you!" Korra said, a frown on her lips.

 _Has Mako told her? I know they talked. Is she mad? I have to apologize._

She couldn't really understand why she was so afraid to lose Korra's friendship, or why she was guilty about kissing Mako. _Korra had kissed Mako before, and that was when he and I were dating._ And Korra had never apologized for that kiss. _But let's face it, you've forgiven her. And you really want her in your life. She's an amazing person._

"Look, Korra, I'm really—." Asami started to apologize. _I don't want to lose Korra as a friend._ Suddenly, she felt herself being dragged forward.

"Wait, Korra! Where are you taking me?" Asami asked, trying to keep herself steady as the ball of energy in front of her kept on going.

"To Mako and Bolin! C'mon!"

Asami felt herself panic, she wanted to clear this misunderstanding Korra seemed to have immediately. _I don't want her to think I like Mako, because I don't._

"I don't like Mako!" Asami blurted out. Korra stopped and looked at Asami in confusion.

"Um, okay…? I'll try to make sure you won't interact much with him when we go down the hill."

 _Wait, what?_

Asami wanted to clarify her statement, Korra seemed to have the wrong idea. She wanted Korra to know, for some reason or other, that she wasn't interested in Mako romantically. Asami stopped walking and was finally able to take her hand out of Korra's. Immediately feeling the loss of warmth and comfort.

"I mean, I don't like him the way you like him. Not anymore."

"The way I like him?" Korra seemed doubly confused, "Oh. No, no, no. I mean that's… nice to hear?" Korra seemed to be thinking for a moment before nodding to herself, as if confirming something. "Yeah. Although, I mean, I wouldn't mind if you did. Mako and I broke up. Officially this time."

Asami was a bit surprised that Korra didn't seem so angry or heartbroken about it. She wondered what had transpired between the two.

"You did? Why?" Asami asked carefully.

"Why is it that no one seems surprised?" Korra laughed. Before Asami could answer or ask her own questions, Korra started explaining, "Mako told me we broke up before I left Republic City. And I also got my memories back when I went into that Tree of Time. So I kind of knew before he told me, but he didn't know that. Anyway, we agreed that we didn't work out as a couple. And, to be honest, I don't think we'll be getting back together anytime soon either. I just think we're better off as friends."

 _So Mako didn't tell her about what happened between him and me while Korra was gone?_ Asami felt guilt eat at her.

"And yes, I'm totally fine hanging out with him and going penguin sledding. Look, it'll be fun. You'll see!"

"Penguin sledding?" Asami was at a total loss. Why were they going penguin sledding? _Wait, shouldn't I apologize first?_

"Don't worry, you're light enough for them. They can actually even carry Bolin, provided the penguin is big enough." Korra explained, as if reading Asami's mind. "Jinora and the others are waiting for us. You have to come, I promise you'll enjoy it." Korra offered her hand to Asami to help her up on Naga. Asami looked unsurely at Korra. There were still some more papers she had to go through. And she had just gotten news that Varrick had escaped. While his shares had been reverted back to her, the rest of his finances would be frozen. And since the deal with the Southern Water Tribe would not pulled through given that she had failed to deliver on time…

A sigh broke Asami from her thoughts. She looked up at Korra who had an apologetic look on her face. _I'm the one who should be apologizing._

"I'm sorry about Varrick. I was the one who suggested going to him for help with Future Industries. And look how botched up that was. But at least spend time with us and let me make it up to you. Please?" Korra pleaded.

"You don't have to apologize for that." Asami said gently, wanting to assure the girl, "It wasn't your fault. You wanted to help me. And you did."

"No. I want to really be able to help you, Asami. And I'm sorry we weren't able to. I really didn't know how we could. And I'm sorry for being stuck in my own world back then. I know Tenzin wanted to get me to train more which is why I was so often stuck on Air Temple Island training. But I should have tried to reach out more. I want to be your friend. A better friend this time." Korra said earnestly. Asami softened at her words and was about to tell Korra that she didn't have to, that there was nothing to make-up for. Korra beat her to it, as if knowing what Asami would say. "Besides, even a prissy, beautiful, elegant, rich girl should get to experience the thrill and fun of penguin sledding."

Asami laughed, remembering the conversation they had on the racetrack. Korra offered her hand again.

"Alright, I'm coming with you." Asami smiled and grabbed Korra's hand before pulling herself up on top of Naga.

"You better hold on. They've been waiting for a while." Korra said. Asami placed her arms around Korra's waist. She felt the girl tense for a moment before relaxing. _She was the one who told me to hold on. Is she uncomfortable? Not used to having a girl hugging her?_

This gave Asami the idea to tease Korra a little.

"So. "Beautiful, and elegant", huh?" Asami playfully said, close to Korra's face, wanting to see what reaction Korra would have. She smirked when she noticed the slight pink appearing. While she could attribute it to the cold, Korra had told her before that she didn't feel cold so easily.

"Uh, yeah. Did I not mention that before?"

"Maybe." Her teasing tone hadn't left. Korra laughed.

"You know, Miss Sato, if you want to hear it more often, all you have to do is ask. Although I have more words than beautiful and elegant to describe you." Korra teased back. This time, it was Asami's turn to blush. She was grateful that she was seated behind Korra and that the Avatar couldn't see behind her.

"And what words would those be?" Asami asked, regaining her composure.

"Independent." Korra started, and Asami was slightly taken aback at the opening. She had thought Korra would say smart first. "Brave, practical, compassionate, forgiving, tough, capable, strong, adrenaline-junkie, and so incredibly smart that it's sexy."

Asami blinked at that last word, feeling warmth creep to her cheeks and realized that this was the second time Korra had done that. And that was just in a span of a few minutes. _How the hell does she do that?_

"I mean seriously, I really don't get how your mind works! You can build your own car, and you're incredibly strategic and you're great at problem-solving. You're just amazing." Korra continued.

"You really know how to compliment a girl." Asami smirked, trying to hide the fact that she was quite pleased with the description. Before Asami could continue teasing the girl, she heard laughter and a shout of "watch out" before snow was suddenly blown into her face.

"Ikki!" Korra laughed. Asami felt Korra take her hand as Korra's other hand dusted off the snow from Asami's eyes. "Come on, we still have to catch our penguins."

And when Korra's laughed was carried by the southern wind, playfulness, happiness and just a hint of challenge all rolled into one, Asami couldn't help but feel warmth permeate her whole body.

* * *

 **A/N:** Korra does love her cliffs.

I actually had a lot of trouble writing this chapter because I didn't exactly know how Korra felt after the break-up. I could imagine she was hurt, but not much else. So I asked a few of my friends for their experiences on mutual break-ups (haha). I've never experienced or personally witnessed a mutual break-up so I had no real world experience to bank upon. Although Korra's reaction two weeks later (Book 3) with Mako is certainly something akin to what I do with the people who've rejected me. I don't let it faze me. But I have no idea how it would feel if you actually were a couple before, then break-up but stay as friends. Hope its okay though.

2nd to the last chapter for Book 2. I'll post the last one in two days, when I get home. Book 3 will be coming, I'll just finish my game first, haha.

Thank you for the reviews, and there will be more!


	18. Forging a New Path Forward

_**(Korra)**_

"Well, that went well." Korra and Asami watched as Bolin and Mako walk away. Mako's furtive looks between the two of them and his stiffness around them made the fun diminish somewhat initially. Somehow though, Bolin's excitement and joy had still rubbed off on Mako. At least enough that the penguin sledding itself and the racing was fun. And she and Asami had really given them a beat down in the snowball fight.

"I think you did okay." Asami encouraged her. Korra had (for the most part) acted similar to how it was before any romantic feelings had been taken into account. While Mako had seemed completely unsure about seeing Asami and Korra together and having fun.

"Did you tell Asami already?" Jinora whispered to Korra. Her siblings had already gone off ahead.

"Tell me what?" Asami asked.

"Uh, you heard that?" Korra's eyes widened in surprise.

"I've had practice. Being the daughter of one of Republic City's most prominent figures means I had to go to a lot of parties. And I learned to listen." Asami shrugged.

 _Practice?_ Korra eyed her curiously. "What do you mean by practice?"

"Well, you know how prissy girls and their families are." Asami shrugged, "Gossip has a way of going around. And since I wasn't exactly… normal, there were a lot of whispers. I never had any real friends until you guys came along."

Korra seemed apologetic and Asami smiled gently, understanding that Korra was sorry for bringing up those memories. And Asami appreciated the gesture but she didn't blame Korra.

"So, what are you supposed to tell me?" Asami asked.

"Uh, well, I talked to my Dad and he said there wasn't a reason to not push through the deal with Future Industries. Our warriors here are strong, but if someone faced them with dark spirits or their own mecha tanks, having our own would be a good addition for defense."

The way Asami's face lit up at this made Korra silently congratulate herself. She stole a glance at Jinora who was smiling back. Jinora quietly backed away from them to leave the two alone.

"That's great! I mean, I am _so_ thankful. Varrick got Future Industries out of the red but this would really help stabilize it. Thank you so much Korra!" Asami threw her arms around Korra which took the Avatar completely by surprise.

"You're welcome. I didn't really do anything with that though, just explained the situation with him." Korra finally said when Asami shifted away from her.

"You did. Thank you, Korra. This means so much to me." Asami said, her face lighting up. _Warm. Her smile makes me feel so warm._ And Korra grinned so widely, she felt like her face would split in two.

"I'm glad I could actually help."

"I had fun today. Thank you for that as well." Asami added.

"This was Jinora's idea."

"It was Jinora's idea to go penguin sledding?"

Korra nodded, "Well, almost all of it. I did want to make-up for that thing with Varrick, and she suggested this. This was really fun. I never actually had any friends to go penguin sledding with back when I was stuck in the compound. So this was good."

"We should hang-out more often." Asami agreed. "When we get back to Republic City, and I've gotten everything in order, we'll be able to spend more girl time together."

"Then go and fix your company as soon as possible." Korra laughed, "Because I think I like that idea."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"Hey, what are you doing?" Asami asked as she took a seat near Bolin. Korra had bounded off on Naga when Senna had informed the young Avatar that Master Katara had been looking for her. Asami had decided to explore the frozen palace and found Bolin making, or at least attempting to make, a snow… something outside the palace's halls.

"It's Pabu!" Bolin exclaimed, "See those cute eyes?"

"Oh. Yes, they're cute. But I don't think Pabu is too pleased you're making a snow equivalent of him." Asami smiled. Bolin turned to the fire ferret.

"Pabu, can't you see how dashing you are?"

Pabu cocked his head as if not believing Bolin and Bolin huffed. Asami laughed.

"He probably just doesn't want a copy of him." Asami said lightly. Bolin stood up with a sigh and dusted the snow off himself before taking a seat beside Asami.

"No one appreciates my art." Bolin pouted.

"No, it's… it's very you, Bolin." Asami smiled encouragingly. Then she glanced around, "So where's Mako? Weren't you with him?"

"He went back to his hut." Bolin said.

"How is he?"

While she realized she didn't want to be in a relationship with him anymore, she did still care about him, in the same way she cared about Bolin and Korra.

"He's good, he's good. His normal broody self. Although he didn't really like losing earlier." Bolin grinned. Asami laughed.

"That is just like him. I can't believe he actually took up Korra's challenge for a snowball fight. Korra grew up here! He must've known she'd be at an advantage."

Bolin shrugged, "Well, he _was_ grumbling about it at first. But he can be highly competitive, and so can Korra. But it was really fun! We should do that more often. Although maybe we should do it all-against-one since Korra seems to have home court advantage."

"I think it'll take even more than us to beat Korra at a snowball fight."

"She really wasn't bending earlier?" Bolin asked.

Asami shook her head, "Well, except for one time when Mako had that particular scowl before it all started."

"Oh yeah! That's what got him into gear!" Bolin laughed, "He was really into it after that!"

"He seemed pretty awkward after though." Asami mused.

"Well, yeah, he's not as cool as I am when it comes to break-ups or rejections." Bolin laughed, "Just give him time, he'll get over it."

Asami nodded. She didn't want to point out the months of awkward agony she had with Korra and Mako and it would probably take more than just time for them to be okay.

"So what about you? You and Korra are spending time together, huh?" Bolin nudged her.

"What do you mean?" Asami asked, confused. The only time they spent together was earlier, and that was spent mostly with Bolin and Mako. Bolin shrugged.

"You seemed really in sync earlier, the sledding, the snowball fight. It felt like we were back in Republic City fighting Equalists! The way you went bam and Korra was like boom pow, and oof, down went Mako." Bolin reenacted the scenes comically. "So what, have you been practicing your teamwork? You and Korra were both gone this morning."

Asami raised her eyebrow. "No, not really." She said slowly, "We haven't had time to be together, really. I've been busy having to deal with the mess Varrick left behind. You weren't the one with Korra earlier? It's the first time since we've had free time since this whole thing."

Bolin shook his head, "No, I was with Mako. Maybe she was dealing with Avatar stuff. So you really weren't together?"

"Not until she picked me up to go penguin sledding. Why?"

"Nothing really. I think this is the first time I've seen you two together in the longest time. Not since the racetrack."

"That _was_ a long time ago." _Like a different lifetime ago. And I… no, you've come a long way since then. Future Industries is finally getting back on track. And you're going to make-up for all your father's wrongdoings._

"Yeah. I know, I know. But you and Korra really seem to mesh well."

 _What? Really?_

"We've been working together during this fight against Unalaq." Asami pointed out, "That wasn't so long ago."

"Um, what I mean is, you and Korra have never… partnered off since that time?" Bolin looked helpless. Asami waited patiently for him to continue explaining and he decided to plow on through. "You've never been like, together together. Not that together! Although that wouldn't be much a surprise either."

Asami's eyes widened at his statement and Bolin held up his hands in defense and tried to quickly amend what he was saying. "I mean, you've spent time alone with Mako, and with me. But not really with Korra? I've never seen you two really together without us ever since that day on the racetrack? I mean, we were there but you guys were… apart from us."

 _There were more times than that. That night after Dad… after losing my father, the sparring match, that night before facing my father and Amon, that time at the cave after Korra got back her bending, that exhilarating drive through Republic City. But those were still few times compared to the time I spent with Mako or Bolin… But I guess we do work well together…_

"Oh right! There was that time after Korra got her bending back. But I guess I just wanted to say for not training together or anything, your coordination earlier was better than the new Fire Ferrets team's coordination, way better. Almost as good as Mako's and mine. And that's saying something. It reminds me a lot of our first fight against those Equalists. And you guys seem to really just click. I mean, you easily fit in with us, way better than Korra did at first, now that I think about it, as if you were training with us all along. But you and Korra, you really mesh together. Even with Mako and the Equalists and your dad and living in the sewers and now with Korra's Uncle and the civil war and Mako going to jail and Varrick and ex-girlfriends with crazy dark spirits… wow, have we really been through that much?"

Asami smiled at Bolin. A lot of those memories weren't pleasant at all, but the way Bolin seemed to be in such disbelief and awe that they had been through so much was endearing to her. _It's true, just this year all our lives seem to have drastically changed and we've gone through many things._

"But yeah, I guess I'm just saying it's not really a surprise that you and Korra work well together." Bolin nodded.

"Oh. Okay." Asami tried to process everything he said. A long silence fell upon them and Asami realized Bolin was fidgeting. She raised her head up to the sky. "I do like her, you know?"

"You do?"

Asami nodded absentmindedly, not really looking at Bolin, not noticing his eyes had widened.

"She's amazing really. I've been interested in the Avatar ever since I was little and I was so excited to meet her in person. And in person, well, she's not exactly the perfect person, but she's still amazing. And I admire her. But not just that, sometimes I think she just… understands me. Not that you and Mako don't. But it's different. And I really want to be good friends with her. I like her, she's a great person to be around. It doesn't hurt that she's easy on the eyes." Asami turned to Bolin and winked cheerfully.

"So, you _like_ her?" Bolin asked, his mouth agape. Asami's eyebrows furrowed at his reaction and then it registered what he meant.

"Oh, Spirits, no. No, not like that you goof." Asami laughed pushing Bolin's shoulder. Bolin pouted and rubbed it, pretending as if it hurt. "She is attractive and amazing, but I really just want to be good friends with her. I'm not looking to date her or anything like with Mako." _Not really. I may have had a small crush on her before, but nothing date-worthy. I really do want to be closer friends with her. And I still have to clear things up._

"Oh. Okay." Bolin nodded, accepting Asami's answer, "Yeah, Korra is pretty amazing. And really buff like me!"

Asami laughed and agreed with him. _Buff and hot. But beautiful most of all._

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Master Katara?"

"Hello, Korra." Katara greeted her with her a smile. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"Mom said you wanted to see me?"

"Ready the tea first." Katara said teasingly, "I want to see if you've gotten any better."

Korra pouted at this, "I didn't really have time to practice this. And you're pretty much the only Water Tribe person who really enjoys tea."

Katara smiled, "I had influence from a certain Fire Nation general."

"You mean General Iroh?" Korra asked, leaning forward.

"Tea first." Katara gently reminded Korra. Korra grumbled good-naturedly before doing as told. "And yes, he loved his tea. Your tea has gotten better. Not as good as Zuko's, but it's getting there," Katara said after taking a sip from her tea.

Korra blinked, "Lord Zuko knew how to make tea?"

"Of course, his uncle taught him. And he is the reason I have all this tea for drinking as well." Katara took another sip, "So, you've kept open the Spirit portals."

Korra nodded, eyeing Katara carefully as she drank her own tea. Katara had seldom berated her and had often understood her actions and feelings. But Korra couldn't help but ask feebly, "Do you think it was the right decision?"

 _This was a huge decision for the world, and I can't help but think about the repercussions now. I guess I don't always think things through, but it really felt like the right thing to do then. It wasn't their fault, and once upon a time, they were part of this world too. They still are, although not physically._

Katara smiled, "Why did you want to keep the portals open?"

Korra fidgeted with her cup, she wasn't sure herself.

"It felt right." Korra finally said. Katara didn't answer and Korra looked up at the elderly waterbender. Katara was merely looking at Korra, a twinkle in her eyes and Korra realized that Katara was waiting for her to elaborate. She tried to sort through her thoughts. "When I went through Avatar Wan's memories, he became friends with the spirits, and he valued them deeply, as much as he valued his human friends. But the humans and spirits harmed each other. With Vaatu's release, the negative emotions the humans had greatly affected the spirits. So he decided to seal the spirit portals and prevent the corruption of the spirits and at the same time, bring peace to the physical world. But the physical world did not achieve peace for long. He regretted not being able to bring peace to the world. Maybe separating the spirit world and the physical world was not the solution. And I think that now, we have some better understanding of Spirits. And maybe we can live together."

"But even you did not immediately understand the spirits at first." Katara gently said.

"I know, that's why… I'm not so sure now about what I did. But it felt wrong to not let them enjoy this world when they aren't the ones at fault in the first place. I just… what if it all goes wrong? What if the spirts are again affected by our feelings? I know Vaatu's gone but… I don't know. I wish I knew the right answer."

"It isn't always about the right answer, Korra." Katara said gently, "This is your answer, and what you need to do now is to see your answer through. If it means anything, I do believe that Aang would have agreed with your decision given that limited information. He wanted to bring the people and nations together, which is why he and Zuko worked hard to build the United Republic of Nations, much like your wish to bring the spirits and humans together. Each Avatar has his or her own challenges to overcome, and this was yours. Much like Aang, you are forging a new and different path. It will not be easy, but it will be your path."

Korra nodded then frowned, "I lost Aang."

"You did not lose Aang." Katara said, reaching her hand over to Korra, "Perhaps your direct connection was severed, but you did not lose him. Nor any of the past Avatars. They will always be a part of you. And perhaps, you may regain that connection, the future is never written in stone, but for now, you have protected the world once again."

"You think I can regain my connection?" Korra jumped in excitement.

"I don't know Korra, but it can't be ruled out." Katara smiled at her. "Now, what's this I hear about you taking sides in Republic City?"

"Did Mako tell you?" Korra scowled.

"Why would that young firebender talk to me?" Katara chuckled, "Lin is the daughter of a long-time friend."

"Oh. Right." Korra muttered then she looked up. Katara had that look she always had when she was patiently waiting for an answer. Korra huffed, "I couldn't stand by and watch as the North tried to take over the South."

"I know, Korra." Katara smiled, "I can understand. And your actions helped you protect the world. But I do want you to remember, you are not just from the Southern Water Tribe. Your duty is to the world."

"I know, I know."

"You know, unlike you, Aang had trouble with bending."

"Earthbending right?" Korra shrugged.

"And firebending." Katara added, Korra was surprised. She knew that Lord Zuko and Aang had learned firebending from the dragons, she had been really interested in that story, but not much else.

"You see, Aang saw the philosophies and cultures of the nations through their bending. He struggled with earthbending and firebending because of the principles he saw in the two bending techniques. To him, firebending only brought harm and destruction, he saw the anger that fueled the firebenders back in the day, and he was scared of it. His first master had only spoken of how fire only spreads and destroys. While the resolve to face a problem head-on that is typical of an earthbender is the opposite of Aang's playful and evasive nature. The philosophy in bending can be quite telling of a nation's culture and viewpoint. When you master an element, you are taking in the philosophy of a whole culture, you are unique as the Avatar that you are able to master all four elements and in consequence, understand the underlying principles and philosophies of different groups of people."

"Right. That's why I had so much trouble with airbending." Korra nodded, "Because it was opposite my own personality."

Katara smiled, "Travelling the world to master the elements was important so that the Avatar would be able to see the way the different cultures were and how they embodied their elements. But you were protected. I understand Tenzin and your father's views, but that removed a part of your training. Republic City is the perhaps a good place to see the different nations and cultures mix and contribute to a society. Just as the original four nations contribute to the world, each bringing something unique to the world. The four nations are separate and different from each other, but they are still connected, still part of one whole. And the Avatar belongs to all and being able to truly master the elements is to understand them. I do know that you always try to do what you believe is right, and that is quite the admirable trait. But do not forget to look at the different sides sometimes, there may be things you cannot see by only looking one way."

Korra nodded, a contemplative look on her face.

"Now, we should get you ready for tomorrow's ceremony. Have you prepared your speech yet?"

Korra's stricken face caused Katara to laugh. "I completely forgot!"

"Just speak from the heart, Korra." Katara smiled, "You'll be fine. You have a good heart. Things may change, but you will always have your friends with you, and you will establish a new path, together."

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"There you are." Bolin announced their presence at the top of the cliff overlooking Harbor City. Korra turned around to face the three of them: Asami followed behind Bolin, she offered a small smile to Korra, Mako kept his distance, his hands across his chest, awkwardly shifting his position.

"What are you doing here?"

"Your parents invited us to dinner." Bolin explained, "Master Katara said we might find you here."

"Oh, yeah…" Korra looked toward the city. One by one, the lights started turning on as the sun set on the horizon, it was quite a sight.

"Is something bothering you?" Asami asked. She was concerned over Korra's quiet demeanor, had something happened?

"It's nothing." Korra waved her hand. That was when Asami noticed that Korra was holding a piece of crumpled paper.

"What are you holding?" Mako finally spoke up. He seemed worried as well. Korra looked at her hand in surprise then realization once she saw it. "It's not nothing, is it?"

"You can tell us, Korra." Bolin added. Korra sighed.

"Just a speech for tomorrow. I have to come up with something about opening the Spirit Portals. It's… after talking to Master Katara, I just felt like coming up here to think. This is the first time the portals have been kept open in 10,000 years. It feels good to have the spirits back." Korra admitted, "But… I'm still not sure if I made the right choice."

"Isn't that something you were supposed to think of before you kept them open?" Mako asked. Korra tensed at this and spun around defensively. Bolin and Asami looked admonishingly at Mako. He held up his hands in defense. Asami quickly stepped up to Korra and placed a hand on her shoulder. Korra looked at Asami, her muscles relaxing a little.

"Maybe we should hear Mako out." Asami suggested, Korra was still edgy but nodded.

"I'm just saying that you already kept them open. If you wanted to weigh the pros and cons, you should do that before you make a decision. All you can do now is help people accept that the Spirit Portals will remain open." Mako said. He looked annoyed at the look of surprise on Bolin's face. "What?"

"Well, Mako is right in a way. Reflecting on your choices is fine." Asami said, "But you can't change the past anymore. All we can do now is move forward."

Asami was suddenly struck by how much that should apply to her as well. She had always been clinging to the ghosts of her father and mother and had nearly broken down thinking about the things her father had done, the things the Equalists had done. She had drowned so much in thinking about their actions that she had lost her own sense of direction. _I swear I'm going to move forward too._

"You're right. Sorry for tensing up like that." Korra turned to Mako. He nodded, still seeming a bit uncomfortable.

"Whatever happens, we'll be right there with you, Korra." Asami said. Korra smiled gratefully at her and Asami couldn't help but feel her chest swell at the sincerity in those clear blue eyes.

"Yeah! We're Team Avatar after all!" Bolin grinned. Korra laughed.

"Thanks guys." Korra grinned at each of them in turn.

* * *

Sorry, I got nothing. I'll try to do better with Book 3.

End of Book 2.

Go watch Deadpool guys!

Edit: Since I have no way of replying to you: Thanks Meredith! I just meant that Book 2 has drained my creative juices (its my least favorite season and kind of hard to watch), and I kind of felt like it was just me being selfish and wishing I could talk to Korra about that weird war of theirs (hence, the Katara stuff). Anyway, that's why I decided to focus on my game first before moving on to Book 3 (I mean, I already have bits and pieces for that, I started way back in Book 1, nothing complete yet though). Thank you for the encouragement!


	19. Change

_**(Korra)**_

"I think you should take the day off." Tenzin suggested when Korra sent another angry blast of air to move the gates. "We can continue our training tomorrow."

"Shouldn't we check up on the vines?" Korra asked.

"We can leave that for tomorrow. The buildings themselves are considerably stable." Tenzin informed her. "And it appears only few buildings were affected."

The surprise press conference Raiko had called earlier today had left Korra in a foul mood. How he could thank her for saving the city and blame her for its destruction in the same sentence, she could never really understand. She had of course, retorted with reminding him that if he had sent support, Unalaq might have never gotten to Republic City. Well, at least she had found out about the effects of keeping the spirit portals open. Spirits were appearing throughout the city, and then there were the vines that had been left behind after the battle.

"I hope you're not suggesting I meditate." Korra said dryly.

"No, I believe that hasn't calmed you down in the past." Tenzin acknowledged.

"I actually don't mind it so much anymore." She admitted, "Although you're right that it won't be helpful right now."

"Why don't you go find your friends?"

Korra had just the person in mind.

Korra glanced around the garage. She had spent the better half of the afternoon scouring Republic City for one person in particular. She finally found the girl she was looking for: underneath a Satomobile. Asami's white shirt was spotted with grease and had ridden up to expose the girl's firm stomach. Luckily, her pants were black and did not sport any obvious stains. Korra couldn't help but feel amused that she had ever thought Asami was a prissy rich heiress.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

"I could get used to this."

Asami tensed for a split second before realizing who owned that playful voice. She removed herself from under the Satomobile, her eyes searching for the source. Korra was leaning against the crates, her arms across her chest and a smirk on her face.

"Get used to what?" Asami stood up and flipped her hair out of her face. It didn't escape her notice that Korra's eyes had followed the motion.

"No crazy bloodbenders, no extreme airbending training, no dark Avatars, just a quiet day, looking for a runaway princess." Korra finally said with a grin.

"Runaway princess, huh?" Asami raised her eyebrow.

"You didn't have to leave the south right away. You promised some girl time." Korra pouted. "And yes, princess."

"Being the daughter of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe, aren't you the princess?" Asami smiled. _That pout is adorable._

"I'm not just a princess, I'm the Avatar!"

"You do remember you were the one who told me to take care of the company _Avatar_ Korra?" Asami teased.

"Yeah, but I meant with us!" Korra huffed again, "You said you wouldn't try to do everything on your own anymore."

"You, Bolin and Mako already helped plenty." Asami smiled. "I just had to take care of a few papers since Varrick pretty much gave me back Future Industries with his kidnapping stint. I have to give it to the guy though, he did bring back Future Industries into a stable black. And his suggestion about the mechas helped Future Industries and the South."

"Yeah, you really came through with that. Thanks, Asami." Korra smiled. Asami smiled gently back.

"I should be thanking you. You're the one who talked to your Dad about continuing those deals." Asami said, "Even the United Republic also commissioned our mechs after the Dark Avatar face-off. Speaking of which, I heard you turned into some giant spirit." Asami looked at Korra curiously. "You didn't mention that before I left."

It was another impressive feat of Korra. She had lost Raava, the light spirit that was a part of her being able to reincarnate but somehow… she had found it in herself to beat Unalaq. Asami had been so relieved at first at the fact that her friends were safe that she didn't bother to ask the details. She had run into Bolin this morning though and Bolin found out that Asami hadn't been told the whole tale so he went into full-force story-telling mode about Korra's "awesome-ness" and "badass-ness" and Asami couldn't help but be fascinated and want to know more about it.

"Yeah, um, it was the Tree of Time thing. I can't really explain it, but within each person is the ability to connect to this cosmic energy of the universe to bend this energy within ourselves. It's… similar to how I gave Chief Beifong back her bending. But different. I mean, they're related. I think. I don't know? It felt similar, but different too." Korra took a deep breath, "Well, anyway, I had to figure out I wasn't just the Avatar. I'm Korra too. I mean… I had to let go of what I expected of myself as the Avatar. Or…"

"Self-realization," Asami smiled, understanding. Korra looked at her in relief. "Being the Avatar is very much a part of you, but it isn't the only part of you."

"Yeah. I had to find that part." Korra nodded enthusiastically. "And well, Tree of Time, Harmonic Convergence and voila, instant giant blue _giant_ spirt."

"That would have been impressive to see." Asami smiled softly. _Korra really is amazing._

"Seriously?" Korra rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, I guess. I was just glad I got Raava back. And… thanks, for taking care of Dad."

The look Korra sent her then spoke volumes. Asami knew how important it was to Korra that her dad was alive and well. But there was also a shadow of something that Asami couldn't quite place, an emotion in those ocean depths that she couldn't determine.

"You're welcome."

"So, you're commissioning mechs for the Republic now, huh?"

"Mm-hm. Forklifts too, for the reconstruction. To be honest, I want to move away from the military-based tech. People are still… worried about the Sato name." Asami admitted. She had always thought of Future Industries being an avenue to provide people with things that would help them, her mom had always said as much. It used to be about changing people's lives for the better. It was why she had agreed to sell the mechas to the South: they would help protect people from an invading force. Somewhere along the way though, her father had twisted that sense. He completely believed that what he was doing was going to make their lives better. All she had seen was him hurting people. _New bullies replacing the old bullies._

Public opinion hadn't changed much, still seeing that Future Industries had aided terrorists, never caring that Asami had fought against those same terrorists. She sometimes wondered if she had fueled the fear of Future Industries because she had sold weapons to the South, even if the weapons were meant for security.

"After you've helped me save the world twice?" Korra looked at Asami disbelievingly. Asami nodded.

"You've save the world countless of times, but they still want to blame you for everything going wrong." Asami teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Tell me about it." Korra huffed. "So Future Industries is still bad?"

"Not really. Well, I'm not in danger of losing it anytime soon. Our Satomobiles still aren't selling well. It's the military gear that's mostly keeping us in solid numbers. But it reminds me of what my father did. And it reminds other people too. Unalaq was even able to make use of the remaining Equalist mechs in his plan. Raiko's just been forced into a position where he can't say no to our products. Our military tech _is_ top-notch."

"But look at it now. The mechs are being used in the South for protection." Korra pointed out, and Asami somehow felt more confident with her decision to sell the mechs. She _had_ felt that it was the right thing to do, it was for protection, not for oppressing people. Korra's similar view boosted her confidence. "But if you don't really like to do it… We could just deal with snow-mobiles or something? I don't want you doing something you're not comfortable with."

"No, you're right. I had tweaked them to be more for defensive purposes. And they're being used for security, and not to oppress people. So I'm not really uncomfortable with it." Asami said thoughtfully, "Still, I'm trying to make plans so that Future Industries will again rely on transport, maybe airships or trains. I hope I get the contract for the new police airships. I'm going to present my designs to the President and the police department."

"You were able to produce new airships in just a few days?" Korra asked in surprise.

"No, it's just an initial design. I found the blueprints for the airships in the warehouse and it's been sitting on the shelf ever since. It was an incomplete blueprint but I was able to complete it."

 _Dad's warehouse._

"Bolin gave me the idea to change it to use it for public transport between nations, it would make the commute quicker. I always was just thinking about our products in Republic City or outsourcing to other nations, but with this, it'll be used by both the United Republic and other nations. I had them start on the prototype before we left. That's why we had to pass one of the warehouses before we went to the South. The airships I'm pitching to the police department are slightly different though, so I believe I won't have to check up so often on those."

 _The Equalist's airships._

"Of course, I've tweaked it to my own liking. I may have never built a whole airship on my own before but I've had some experience and I've read enough engineering books to have an idea how they work."

 _Dad's engineering books._

"Anyway, it should still take a few weeks before we get a finished product, but I should have a working prototype by the end of the week. It won't be pretty to look at, but if Raiko wants to see it in action, it should do."

"I'm glad Raiko changed his mind about Future Industries." Korra said. When he had been elected, the esteemed first president of the United Republic of Nations had denied any contract with Future Industries to replace the airships destroyed by the Equalists, opting instead to go for its cheaper competitor.

She turned to find Korra's grinning face. She smiled back.

"Me too." Asami nodded, "I guess he has no choice though, given that those Cabbage Corp airships they obtained were easily destroyed in the attack. I'm sure if he finds anything wrong however, he'll immediately decline."

"He won't." Korra said confidently. "Well, if he's not an idiot, he wouldn't. And he did say he didn't care about 'press opinion'."

Korra frowned at this.

"I heard on the radio. Sorry I couldn't make that impromptu press conference. I didn't know you were coming in today. I see your handle on the press has improved." Asami said teasingly. Korra huffed.

"Raiko better be glad Beifong was there or I'd probably have blown them all out of Republic City." Korra huffed, "Tenzin nearly blew his top off. Jinora's life was in danger after all."

"A pissed off Tenzin? That's a rare sight to see outside of him and you butting heads." Asami said in amusement.

"Yeah, I don't think he's going to be attending any of Raiko's press conferences soon." Korra grinned.

"It's understandable though. He nearly lost Jinora." Asami said in understanding. She felt a pang of jealousy but quickly smothered that feeling. She was getting good at that.

"Miss Sato?" A man in his forties stood by the entrance. He nodded at the Avatar and apologized for the intrusion.

"What is it Miles?" Asami asked.

"There's been an issue. It's with regards to the staff working on the airship. Another… argument."

Asami frowned, "I thought those had died down? Can't they handle it on their own?"

"They have lessened." He said, "But it seems there were still some disgruntled workers and the dispute quickly spread. They've been trying to quell the fight, and some of the employees are preventing it from escalating further but…"

"Fight?" Korra repeated. Asami sighed and massaged her temple.

"Alright, tell them I'm heading over there right now. I'll deal with it." Asami said.

"Asami, what fight?" Korra asked when the man finally left.

"I think you should head back to Air Temple Island, Korra." Asami ignored the question. Korra didn't need to see the mess. Asami had handled them before, she'd be able to handle it again now. Korra looked insulted.

"Asami, what fight?" Korra repeated.

"Look, just let me handle this." Asami said sharply. Korra grabbed her arm.

"No. I told you, I'm going to help. I know you're capable on your own, but you don't _have_ to do everything on your own." Korra said sternly. Her expression eased when her eyes met Asami's surprised ones. "Let me help. It's what friends are for. I want to be a better friend remember?"

Asami kept her gaze steadily on Korra but Korra looked determinedly back at her. She sighed, Korra was really stubborn.

"There was—is—tension between the workers. Varrick and I started hiring again when he invested into the company. We decided to hire both benders and non-benders. While not all of the non-benders joined the Equalists, a lot of them experienced hardship with benders. So with the benders around, a lot of them weren't happy."

Asami took a peek at Korra, wondering what her reaction was. Korra simply nodded, indicating she was listening. There was a frown as well, but it seemed more like she was thinking about something than simply getting mad at the reaction.

"Fights broke out for a while until I finally put my foot down."

 _Snapped really._

"Remember when we talked about the bender/non-bender situation?" Asami continued. Korra nodded. "Well, I applied the things we thought of, and for a while there, they finally stopped trying to see it from just their point of view. A lot of them even got along well, if they stopped thinking about being benders and non-benders. Apparently though, not all of them. I thought I'd made sure that anyone who was unhappy would have been given a recommendation to another job. I guess some of them still slipped through our fingers, probably waiting for a chance to cause a mess. I should have been more careful."

"Hey, you did what you could. Now let's go deal with that fight." Korra comforted Asami. Asami nodded.

Asami was relieved it was finally over. They had dealt with those that just wanted to attack benders for no reason. She wondered if there were more people like them in other warehouses, she would have it thoroughly checked tomorrow. And she'd have to bring it up with the board about the delay with the airships now and the issue with the workers. Hopefully, it wasn't too big of a set-back.

"Who'd have thought Bolin would be the most experienced and empathetic toward the bender/non-bender situation? Uh, no offense, I mean, you're a non-bender and all but…" Korra gestured towards the expansive warehouse area.

It was empty now. Those with legitimate had been spoken to and had finally dispersed after Asami had heard all their complaints and issues. The two of them were finally alone again.

"I did grow up with a lot of privilege." Asami nodded, "The worse I've probably gotten was people accusing me of being an Equalist without any proof. Or being socially snubbed. But those non-benders… getting beaten and kicked down even when they were already on the floor… The Equalists did go about it completely wrong but…"

"I know. There were some things that they pointed out that needed to be corrected. Bolin pointed out that weaker benders were also subject to the same treatment. Anyone who couldn't protect themselves would suffer. Mako also agreed that it was a kill or be killed situation out there. Argh. I really wanted to kick those gangs' asses down." Korra huffed.

"Well, we did do some good for a while." Asami pointed out. "Remember we patrolled the streets?"

Asami also remembered how well-oiled she and Korra had worked together. It was weird, talking to each other had been slightly awkward then. But when it came down to their thoughts and actions, Asami and Korra seemed to understand each other wordlessly, at least in a fight. Maybe their fighting styles complemented each other. In the same way that Mako and Bolin also had an easy time reading each other's' moves.

"Yeah, it's too bad Beifong and Tenzin were really after our hides when we tried to do gang clean-up." Korra sighed, probably remembering how Tenzin and everyone else had gotten over-protective on her. She had just been trying to help, they had known that the police were spread thin then what with the Equalist and elections and the trials.

"You know, for a guy as socially obtuse as you, Bolin sure has a keen eye for those kinds of things." Asami decided to steer the topic away from those memories.

"I know… wait, hey!" Korra realized Asami had been teasing her. Asami laughed again and she noticed Korra smiled softly at this.

"What?" Asami asked, wondering why Korra had that expression on her face. Blue eyes were filled with mischief when they looked at Asami.

"Korra." Asami warned.

"Socially obtuse huh?" Korra grinned and Asami felt a rush of wind as she was thrown up into the air. She laughed at the exhilarating feeling of falling and her miraculously soft landing courtesy of Korra's airbending again. She realized she was in the driver's seat of the Satomobile. Korra hopped into the passenger seat.

Asami grinned and primed the vehicle. The area outside the warehouse was smooth, but wide. It wasn't the best area for a race, but race she did. Korra turned to Asami with that you're-the-best-thing-in-the-world grin, or at least, that's how Asami felt. Excitement written all over the darker toned girl as Asami drifted once more. When Asami sped up leading up to the warehouse, Korra stood up from her seat and positioned herself solidly, earthbending a curving ramp right before they reached the warehouse, making it loop around.

The two of them laughed at their adrenaline-charged run.

"You really are awesome." Korra grinned. Asami felt blood rush to her cheeks, and was glad she was already red from laughing. Given with all that happened with Future Industries, she didn't often feel that way. Korra had a certain way of saying it that made Asami always believe in it though.

 _I'm really glad we can talk like this now. Korra's just been really fun to be around with._

"Likewise." Asami replied. "Those loop things at the end was brilliant."

"Hey Asami? We're here for you, you know. You don't have to do everything by yourself." Korra looked at her with those bright blue pools, so earnest and sincere. Asami could really lose herself in those eyes.

"I know. Thank you, Korra." She replied appreciatively.

"Things are more fun when we're together." Korra added.

"And more dangerous." Asami answered playfully.

"Hey! That's half the fun." Korra grinned.

Korra hopped out of the vehicle. "You know, I'm glad the plans we made were put to use. Even if it wasn't applied to the whole of Republic City. People just need to see past being a bender and non-bender. I mean, it's an integral part of our very lives, but it's also not everything we are. How we choose to make use of the things available to us is dependent on the kind of person we are. I'm glad you did that, Asami."

"That means a lot coming from you." Asami honestly said. "We've… changed, haven't we?"

They had all faced so many hardships in just one year. Korra the most of all. Asami hoped that this was enough for one Avatar's lifetime.

"For the better, I hope!"

Asami smiled at Korra and Korra smiled back.

"I better not fall behind. With Mako and you making your marks in the world, I better shape up." Korra teased.

 _Mako._

"You've saved the world twice. We're just following your example of doing the right thing." Asami countered.

She had heard he had taken up Chief Beifong's offer to be a detective. _Mako… and the kiss. I really should apologize to her now. It might ruin this… but she deserves the truth._

"Korra, I…" Asami tried to find the words. She really was scared to lose Korra, for Korra to be mad at her. _You weren't mad at her when she kissed Mako._ But… it was still scary. She didn't want Korra to disappear from her life. _You really think she'll disappear? There's a chance, alright. And even if it's a small chance, it's scary._

"Asami?"

"Korra, I have to tell you something." Asami started to say. _I need to tell her. Don't keep things hidden. Dishonesty is not something you need right now. It's not exactly being dishonest, it's never really come up after all. But are you sure you don't want to tell her? To let somebody else give her the news?_

"Korraaaaaaa!"

Asami and Korra turned to find Bolin running toward them.

"Bolin, what are you doing here? What happened? How'd you know I was here?"

"I have been looking all over for you." Bolin said in between breaths. "So, remember that I moved back in with Mako as soon as we came back? So then Mako and I were in our apartment, getting ready for the day. Him with detective stuff and I had training. But then this massive-giant-green-thing came from the floor and windows and we freaked out and ran out as soon as we could. Well, we helped the other people out of the building too. But then we had to…"

"Bolin, what massive-giant-green-thing appeared?" Korra asked.

"Remember those vines that Unalaq-Vaatu, er, Unavaatu, dark Avatar guy made when he went on a rampage here and how they wouldn't go away? Well, more are appearing. And a few of those started showing up _all over town._ Especially downtown, and it just went through our apartment!"

"More are showing up?"

"Yeah! We barely held together the remaining buildings."

Asami and Korra looked seriously at each other.

 _I guess you don't always get what you wish for._

"Let's go."

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm back! If you notice anything wrong, please give me a heads up. I think for this Book, I'm just going to focus on building Asami and Korra's friendship with slight tones of romance, although neither of them might notice their true feelings at first. I'm also not entirely sure how I'm going to go about from friendship to romance. I mean, I really liked what happened in the show, how no single event determined their feelings for each other. It was all just.. organic. But I'm also thinking that there must be some point where its brought to attention that there's more to what they feel than friendship. So, *shrug*.

So I've been rereading my fanfic and I realized that earlier on, I did write Korra a little too in tune to Asami's feelings. I mean, I still think Korra has attributes that allow her to understand Asami a little more than Mako and Bolin (loneliness being the forefront) and I still believe that Korra is actually quite understanding if she finds it in herself to listen. But I think I went a little too overboard by showing her being the one to notice it first thing. So I might rework some of the earlier chapters. I'm also thinking about redoing the start of Book 2 and expand on the 6 months because I think I want to expound on Asami dealing with her father's sentence and Future Industries. If I do edit a chapter, I'll make sure to write it in my latest chapter update. I also might dive into the mess that is politics. (if anyone's heard of Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri, that's why I've had a sudden spike of interest in that topic) But I think I need to do a lot of research on that so that might take a while. But it would be interesting to see the chaotic mess that is Republic City in those 6 months after the revolution.

Anyway, for Book 3, I kind of want to focus on the positive effect Korra has on Asami and vice-versa. Like here, Asami still feels the guilt and confusion and anger at her father and she's still haunted by it, and I hope to convey that Korra is able to bring Asami out of her head and that they balance each other out.

Sorry if my updates might not be weekly anymore. It's hard to have so little free time and so many hobbies. If only I didn't need money to support my life or a time machine would be good too, for unlimited time. haha.


	20. Repercussions

Sorry for the mess up in the chapters. I added a new chapter in Book 1. New Chapter 8 (Midnight) and Chapter 20.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Both the Republic City Fire Department and the police were still at the scene. The residents were all gathered around, surveying their ruined homes.

"Mako!" Bolin rushed off to his brother.

"Bo, where'd you disappear to?"

"What happened? Bolin said that vines just started appearing?" Korra asked, finally getting into Mako's view.

"Kor—Avatar Korra." Mako stiffly stood at attention, "Yes. The vines came out of the ground suddenly destroying most parts of the buildings."

Korra surveyed the surroundings, while some buildings had parts missing (a roof there, a wall here, places where the vines shot through), the vines had wrapped themselves around the buildings and seemed to be keeping them up together.

"It seems like the vines are actually holding the buildings in place though." Asami said thoughtfully. Korra nodded in agreement. "Was anyone hurt?"

"Uh, nothing major." Mako reported, glancing between Asami and Korra then at his brother, "We were able to evacuate the civilians without incident."

"Korra, I was just about to have someone find you." Tenzin appeared along with Lin.

"What's going on? Why are the vines suddenly appearing? Is it something to do with the Spirit World?" Korra asked.

"That's what we'd all like to know."

Korra cringed at the sound of the disapproving voice.

"President Raiko, what are you doing here?" She asked with a clipped tone. Ever since the civil war had erupted, they had never really seen eye to eye.

"This _is_ my city and I'm its President. Of course I'd be here to try and solve this problem."

The way he seemed so possessive of Republic City didn't sit well with Korra. A hand was laid upon her shoulder and she looked into supportive verdant eyes. She took a deep breath.

 _Right, like Jinora said, Raiko was just doing his job, just like Mako. I might not like how they do it, but they are doing just their job. I still don't like it though. There was so much—_

"Avatar Korra! President Raiko! What are you planning on doing with these vines?"

"Why do you believe they're appearing?"

"I hope that the Avatar also has some answers for us. I also do not understand anything about these Spirit Portals that the Avatar has subjected us to." Raiko said dryly. That made Korra quickly snap.

"I didn't subject you to anything!"

"Then why did you not consult with the world about your decision to keep the portals open? How can you decide for yourself that the portals should be kept open?"

"I—."

"Korra and I will be looking into these spiritual matters. For now, I think we should focus our efforts on the residents who have been displaced." Tenzin interrupted.

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Asami tapped the pencil against her table. The airship still wasn't churning out the figures she wanted, maybe if she made the front sharper but rounder on the sides? No, that would lead to an imbalance in the ship itself… Asami huffed.

Korra hadn't looked quite okay after the vines started appearing. There were increasing reports of those after last night. She hoped Korra wasn't too stressed with all of it.

Asami glanced at work, she really needed to focus. She was supposed to present the designs to Raiko and his cabinet, along with the Police Department.

Korra really never did get a break. After the revolution, she had been thrown into airbending training and there was all that mess with the elections for President and going for a change in government system. She hadn't been at the center of it, but it was still on her plate. Then there'd been her Uncle and Vaatu, and now, the spirit vines.

Asami took another look at the figures the piece of paper. She let out a long sigh. She glanced at the clock. Bolin would finish his training in a few hours. Maybe she could meet up with him and they could both go to Air Temple Island together to check up on Korra. Asami nodded to herself. That sounded like a good idea. They could take Korra out to dinner and try and get Korra to de-stress.

 _Well, I have to finish this now if I want that to happen._

With renewed vigor, Asami took another look at her computations and the drawings.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

Korra let out another blast of air, followed by earth jutting out from the ground then a fire punch, she shifted her stance again and this time, bent the water from the ocean to form multiple water whips. Each attack was filled with ferocity, her breathing coming in hard and heavy. She wished she had a strong opponent to match her, that wasn't hell-bent on killing her.

She had yet to find a way to remove the vines, and the public opinion of her had immediately turned from hero to zero in a matter of hours. _Just like last time._ She was really feeling jealous of Aang. This brought out another bout of frustration and the ocean seemed to respond in kind as the waves grew bigger before reaching the shore. She hadn't been able to make contact with any of her past lives either.

 _If only I hadn't let Vaatu take Raava. I could've talked to Aang or Kiyoshi or Kuruk, or Roku, or Wan,_ _ **someone**_ _,_ _ **anyone**_ _who had an idea. Thousands of years of knowledge, and I just…_

"Woah, watch where you're sending those flames."

Korra raised her head in alarm. Asami stood a few feet away from her, a concerned look on her face.

"Asami! I'm sorry! I didn't think anyone would come here so I wasn't really paying any attention."

"Still having trouble with the vines?" Asami walked over to her. Korra nodded. Silence fell over them as Korra continued to practice shifting from one bending form to another.

Korra sighed, Asami would understand, wouldn't she?

"I have no idea what I'm doing." Korra finally spoke. She noticed Asami straighten up and come closer. "I made the choice to keep the portals open but… maybe I was wrong. And I don't even have any of the past Avatar's to ask for advice! I just wish… ugh!" A strong burst of air was felt from her feet as she did a spin kick.

"Uh, Korra?" Asami's voice was filled with hesitation that Korra snapped to her right to look at the raven-haired woman, trying to keep her frustrations in check. Asami pointed to something behind Korra and Korra turned.

She had unconsciously bended the wave up and nearly created a small tsunami, she also noticed the crack in the large boulder nearest to them. Korra made sure to gently recede the wave.

"Sorry about that." Korra turned to Asami. "I guess I've been really stressed."

"It's okay. It was… I can understand."

Another quiet few moments passed between them.

Korra wondered what she could do about the vines. Bending didn't affect it, they always just kept coming back. If maybe she could find the source of all of it?

"I don't think what you did was wrong." Asami said carefully, breaking the silence. "You did what you thought was right. It's just… new. And new means adjusting to it. We'll be able to do something about this, I'm sure. We're Team Avatar. You're not alone either. I'm here for you."

Korra smiled at this, remembering how she had said the same to Asami. "Thanks, Asami."

She started bending again. Her movements were calmer now, more graceful than aggressive, though the intensity was still there. Something about what Asami said grounded her, made her calm down.

"Watching you practice bending is a beautiful sight."

"Really? I'd associate bending and beautiful with Master Katara, or maybe Jinora. But thanks, I guess." Korra said, although she felt her cheeks warm at this. Nobody had ever really called her bending beautiful.

Korra continued to gracefully bend the water, allowing it to rise and fall with her motions. She moved to airbending, letting the air wrap around her. She continued on, changing and matching each bending technique as if in a dance. Korra felt eyes focused on her motions and this spurred her bending.

"Your bending seems vastly different from most in Republic City, especially the first time I saw you pro-bend. It feels more… raw, strong, natural. I mean, not that Mako's and Bolin's bending isn't natural. It's just…" Asami trailed off, not really knowing how to explain, "You make it seem as if it truly is a part of you, not just some tool you were born with. It's… awe-inspiring."

"Uh, thanks?" Korra said, "I always thought city bending was better, it was faster, more reactive, and there were less movements. You know Tenzin and I fought about that before. I said I needed to learn the quick style Mako and Bolin seemed to use, not the old forms they were trying to teach me."

"Well, it is useful to learn different styles. But I think the old forms are beautiful and powerful." Asami said, "Although I guess it can't be useful in a crowded place like the city."

"Yeah…" Korra trailed off. "So what are you doing here, anyway? Aren't you supposed to be preparing for your presentation?"

"Oh! Well, I finished early. Bolin and I bumped into each other and we both thought we should go out to dinner tonight, we could all use the break. He said he just had to grab some stuff then he'd head over here."

Korra wondered if they'd see Mako. He had been so awkward last night when the vines had started appearing. To be honest, she missed talking with him. She felt like he had been avoiding her since they had gotten back to Republic City. Actually, make that ever since the ship ride from the South. She wished she could have her friend back.

"Korra?"

"Huh?" She stopped her bending.

Asami look concerned. "Are you coming with us?"

"Oh, yeah, of course! Bolin will stop by here first, right?"

"That's right. He should be here any minute." Asami answered. Korra noticed that Asami bit her lip after, as if she wanted to say something. Korra frowned, was there something else? Was there something wrong?

"Asami, is there something wrong?" Korra asked gently.

"Nothing." Asami quickly replied. Korra frowned, not buying it.

"You know you can tell me anything."

"I'm fine, Korra." Asami said, "There's something I do need to tell you though."

Korra cocked her head, wondering what was wrong. Asami was rarely this uncertain, and she seemed scared. _Scared? Why? Maybe she was scared about the spirits?_ _No. When she saw one, Asami would be surprised but also in awe of them. So why? Is it the presentation?_ Korra felt the urge to grasp Asami's hand, just to reassure the other girl.

"I k—."

"Bolin's looking for you two."

Asami seemed to jump at this, and Korra turned in surprise.

"Jinora! Since when have you been standing there?" Korra asked.

"I just got here. I thought you would be destroying the beach. I guess I was wrong." Jinora calmly replied. She looked at them curiously. "He's in the pavilions."

Korra looked at Asami, Asami shook her head.

"It can wait 'til later." Asami said.

* * *

 _ **(Korra)**_

"Step away from him." Korra demanded upon seeing a group of thugs surrounding one man. She had quickly perused the street. No one would get caught in collateral damage, and any damage done to the street could be easily fixed with earthbending.

"What's it to—so, the Avatar has come out to play." The man holding the shopkeeper up.

"Let him go and you won't get hurt."

"I don't think so. You see, we outnumber you three-to-one." The man said again. Some of the members looked on uneasily though.

"You sure you want to try that?" Asami let out a zap of electricity from her glove. She seemed to always have it on her now. Korra smirked at Asami's display.

"They are kind of plenty right now. What's up with that?" Bolin said. The leader sneered and the trio heard engines being gunned down. Asami, Korra and Bolin turned to find a group of vehicles gunning down toward them. Korra, Asami and Bolin threw themselves to the sides.

 _Chi blockers._ Korra stood up quickly and got into a fighting stance. Now it was more like six-to-one. She glanced at Asami and Bolin and the three of them were sandwiched. They had the Triple Threats on one side and the chi blockers on the other.

 _What are Triple Threats and Chi blockers doing together? Wait, there are still Equalist chi blockers in the city? I thought Lin had dealt with them?_

"I thought you hated benders." Korra asked.

"Oh, don't worry, we do. When we learned that the Avatar was in this side of town, it was too good a chance to pass up." One of them sneered. "A restart to the revolution!"

Korra tried to smirk, "Well, look at that. Benders and non-benders working together. Too bad it's for evil purposes."

"We aren't working with them." One of the Chi blockers hissed. "You're all going down."

"Boss, maybe we should just leave the Avatar and her friends to these Chi blockers." One of the Triple Threats said.

Korra glanced at Asami and Bolin. All of them moved at the same time, Asami headed for the Chi blockers and Bolin and Korra earthbended to make sure the Triple Threats wouldn't be able to get away so easily.

Korra dodged the Chi-blocker's quick attacks. _Thank the Spirits Tenzin made me do all that airbending training, I feel lighter on my feet._ She dropped low and felt heat coming from her back. She airbended herself into the air and when she landed, created a controlled mini-earthquake that threw her surrounding opponents onto the ground. She saw Bolin use quick strikes to send rocks to the chi blockers then built up a wall to prevent them from coming through. But two chi blockers were able to jump over before the wall got too tall. Korra airbended the chi-blockers in mid-air, knocking them against a wall. Bolin quickly earthbended the wall to prevent them from rejoining the fight. Bolin erected another wall behind Korra and she felt fire being thrown down against it. She turned, and Bolin's earth wall disappeared, the fire still there but Korra quickly countered with her own firebending and dissipated the fire, grabbing the Triple Threat's member's hands and throwing him towards Asami who knocked him out with her glove. She watched in wonder as Asami dodged and struck each chi blocker with the glove in practically just two moves each, taking out four in the process.

 _Wow, she's really just quick and amazing and… Incoming Korra!_

Korra dodged an earthbender's attack and retaliated by throwing some water whips in his direction, then solidifying the water so his hands and feet were encased with ice. She then kicked him hard and sent him straight into a chi blocker who stumbled. She propelled herself forward and firepunched the chi blocker, making sure that the chi blocker was occupied at all moments as to prevent him from doing anything to her chi.

Their numbers were dwindling and Korra was feeling less restricted with her movements and started incorporated moves just for the fun of it. She kicked up an earth block sending two of the Triads flying, kept them in the air with another, taller, earth block, airbended to jump higher and kicked them both with a firebending technique. She chanced a glance at Asami and found the other girl looking on in amazement. Korra smirked, which Asami returned after electrocuting another opponent. While still in the air, Korra threw a series of icicles at the Triad behind Asami's back. Korra landed in front of Asami and grinned but to her surprise, Asami had quickly moved forward and those emerald eyes were closer than ever.

Korra froze for a moment at their proximity. Then she heard the distinct sound of someone getting electrocuted behind her.

"Now we're even." Asami laughed, moving away from Korra again.

 _I really like it when she laughs._

Korra had long decided that it made her feel warm, but there was also something she couldn't quite describe about the way it made her feel. _I want to hear her laugh more._

Korra smirked, jumped back into the fray and backed up Bolin with waterbending. The two of them surrounded the remaining opponents and Bolin kept them busy while Korra found something to wrap them up together. Asami had just finished tying up the remaining downed opponents when they heard the sirens coming closer.

"Chief, I thought the Equalists had been dealt with?" Korra approached Lin with a frown on her face.

"Mostly." Lin said gruffly, "We tried to do a few raids but it seems that there are still a handful of Equalists who are able to slip through our fingers. What were you doing out here?"

Korra balled her fists, anticipating the rebuke that would come."We were just having dinner. We couldn't just sit by and let them do as they please!" She said defensively.

"It's a good thing you were here then." Lin stated. Surprise was an understatement as Korra blinked at Lin. The Chief of Police didn't seem to notice or care. "It seems like the Equalists were planning to use the commotion of the Spirit Vines as a way to restart their revolution. Dealing with you would have increased those chances. The Triads also seemed to take this as an opportunity."

Korra felt like kicking herself, another problem caused by the Spirit Vines. Another thing that was her fault. The guilt and feeling of responsibility overshadowed any surprise at Lin's lack of disapproval.

"I'll be increasing patrols in this area. The new chi blockers will handle it."

Korra's head whipped around quickly, her mouth widening in surprise, "You mean—."

"The citizen's assembly has agreed that non-bending police officers may be able to learn chi blocking, if they so wish. They've overturned Raiko's decision. I'm not so sure about all of this, but we'll see if it's a step in the right direction. Hopefully, it won't end up as badly as your last world changing decision."

Korra frowned, "I saved this—."

"I'm not saying you didn't do good, kid. Just make sure to do better next time."

 _Did she just praise me or insult me?_

* * *

 _ **(Asami)**_

Aside from telling them about the new chi blocking police, Korra had been mostly quiet ever since her talk with Lin. Asami wondered if there was anything that had happened. Before she could ask the girl, Bolin broke the silence.

"I'm starving." Bolin groaned.

"We just ate dinner." Asami raised her eyebrow.

"Yeah, but kicking ass just makes me hungry! Right, Korra? Hey! Where'd you get that?"

Asami turned to find Korra's mouth stuffed with food. Korra tried to speak but Asami couldn't quite figure out what the Avatar had just said. Korra swallowed. Asami wondered if that was the reason Korra had been so silent.

"I bought food from the shop owner when I informed him Beifong would beef up patrols in this area. He was selling some takeout." Korra shrugged, "Here you guys each have one bag."

"You are seriously my favorite girl Korra!" Bolin grinned and lifted Korra off the ground before taking the bag Korra had been holding out. Korra turned to Asami and offered the other bag.

"I'm alright. You and Bolin can share that." Asami smiled, "My stomach isn't quite as big as yours."

"How can you not have an appetite?" Korra demanded, "That was some workout right there. Come on, eat! Even just one."

Korra shoved the takeout into Asami's hand. Asami could see Bolin nodding wholeheartedly in agreement. Bolin swallowed before speaking, "Yeah, I saw you take down chi blockers one after another! I've never really gotten over how quick you move, Asami. I mean, we fight strong, but you're really fast!"

"Thanks, Bolin. You were pretty great yourself. I saw that earth wall you did to shield Korra." Asami smiled then took a small bite.

"Yeah! And you knew exactly what I'd do and you really timed bringing the wall down perfectly." Korra added excitedly.

"And the way you jumped him! That was so cool! Although I think Asami saving your ass was even more epic. How could you have missed that guy?" Bolin asked.

Asami cocked her head at the pause in Korra's answer.

"Uh," Korra raised her hand to her neck. _Was she embarrassed?_ Asami had been starting to notice that motion of Korra when she felt uncomfortable or embarrassed. "I just trusted Asami to have my back?"

Asami couldn't help but smirk. "I thought you were a little tense there in that moment. I did feel like you hadn't noticed him with how you seemed to be smirking in victory when you landed."

Korra could tell that Asami was a bit concerned, given how she had problems before but Korra shook her head and smiled. Asami smiled back.

"Well, you were kind of up close that I got a bit surprised." Korra admitted. "Didn't think I'd bump into you! Well, almost bump into you."

Asami blinked at the admission.

"And I was too busy trying to one-up Bolin. I saw you take down three chi-blockers all at the same time. I tried showing off too much so I kind of missed the guy." Korra shrugged and threw them her crooked grin. A grin, Asami was finding out, that was becoming even more increasingly endearing to her.

Bolin grinned back, "I could tell you were starting to take it easy, most of your moves were starting to be just for the heck of it."

"Too bad Mako wasn't here with us." Korra stated. "But Lin mentioned she'd have him check up on Equalist activities."

"Yeah, he is kind of busy right now." Bolin noted with a huff. "He doesn't even have time for me!"

 _Right, Mako._ Asami felt the guilt eat away at her again. _Korra should know, after all I said about being honest with Korra. I should too. She may get angry, but I have to be honest. Just like how Korra is usually. Okay. The next time Korra and I are alone._

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ So. Yeah. I'm not entirely satisfied with this. Anyway, I added a chapter to Book 1 (The new one is Chapter 8, titled: Midnight). Sorry if I'm messing up my chapters. Stuff came to me after I finished all of that  & I kind of want this in chronological order as much as possible. Book 2 will get some rewrites as well. When I first thought about dealing with the political stuff, I forgot that Gate deals with quite different political stuff than elections. Elections really are a mess -_- and I realized I had a lot of questions about the power of the President of URN. Sure, he's a non-bender and was voted by the people. But is he the only one in power? No one to check on him? Hence, I sort-of dealt with that in this chapter: A citizen's assembly (similar to greek style, I guess?) where Citizens go to a meeting and vote on laws and stuff. However, they don't often meet so Raiko gets to decide most things as President (along with his cabinet) until the Citizen Assembly meets. I'm not so sure its an ideal situation, but I figured that if Korra had no one else to go to in Book 2 for help in the Civil War (I imagine if there was a Senate/Congress, Korra could've gone to them first before going to the Fire Nation?), a citizen's assembly would then be more plausible than a senate/congress. I admit, I'm not quite well-versed in the intricacies of politics but I do find it quite interesting as an observer from the outside. I dare not dive into that mess personally though. & I'm not going to quite dive that deep into that here as well. That would require a Tenzin maybe even Lin POV which I do not deal with. Just enough of the process that Asami/Korra would usually be involved in or be told/overhear about. But enough about that. Next chapter will line itself up with Episode 1 of Book 3. I think. Maybe.

Sorry again for the mess in the chapters. Chapter 20 and Chapter 8 are what's new.

Thanks for the reviews/follows/faves! :)


End file.
